It's Okay
by XxYaoi-ADDICTxX
Summary: When it's graduation at the Shinigami Academy, bold and outgoing Hitomi Misori hears the word that she's gets the lucky spot of being the lieutenant of squad three. Her captain obviously turns out to be Izuru Kira. But her tough exterior suddenly fades aw
1. Upon Arrival

DISCLAIMER: I do **not** own Bleach. Just Hitomi Misori.

ENJOY and R&R

Oh, by the way, the way I wrote this story, it constantly which's from third to first person a lot. So, I put Hitomi's thoughts in bold and the narrator's in regular font.

**It's Okay**

When it's graduation at the Shinigami Academy, bold and outgoing Hitomi Misori hears the word that she's gets the lucky spot of being the lieutenant of squad three. Her captain obviously turns out to be Izuru Kira. But her tough exterior suddenly fades away when she eventually get strong feelings for her captain. Will Izuru allow her in with open arms? Or will he remain to be the same awkward Izuru he has always been?

**Chapter 1: Upon Arrival**

Hitomi stood in the open space in the garden. She inhaled happily and she lets the soft wind embrace her. "Damn, it's great to be here. Truly great to be here." She said to herself. She had completely fogotten that she was to report immediately to her captain's office once she had arrived. But the thought of her being a Vice-Captain made her happy. "You must be Lieutenant Misori, right?" The voice of another young person spoke nearby. Hitomi opens her eyes and suddenly breaks out of her trance. Her eyes takes a look at the girl before her. "Um. Yeah, I am. And you are??"

"Captain Hinamori." She says, her eyes shimmering with happiness. _"Captain? You're kidding, right? This little girl is the captain of one of these squads?"_ Hitomi thought to herself. "O-Oh. It's nice to meet you...... oh, crap! A-Ah, I'm sorry, I forgot that I was supposed to g-go somewhere. Bye!" Hitomi scrambled off, suddenly remembering that she had to meet with her captain. She hurried to the office of her captain.

"A-Ah, sorry, sir, I--" She busted through the door, seeing a figure seated by a nearby desk. It was a man with pale blonde hair. His head turns to the direction of his new vice-captain. At first, his expression was neutral. Hitomi just stood there with a shocked look on her face.

_"Th-This man... is my captain?"_

A sweet smile finally rest upon his lips and he stands to his feet. "You must be my new lieutenant." He said. Hitomi stood there for a moment, abruptly shaking her head."I-I'm sorry, sir. I mean, Captain Kira. I knew I was supposed to be here earlier on but---"

"It's all right. Really." Izuru says, his voice giving her an odd feeling crawling down her back.

**Dumbass, close the door. I hadn't realized that I was standing in the same spot for the past five minutes. I closed the door behind myself and stepped in even further. Captain Kira watched me as I stood into another spot. "So, how are you? I mean, a-are you excited?" He asks me. "Of course, I am. This is such a great opportunity! I'd never thought that I would be a vice-captain so suddenly! I was never the best in my class but I was always told that I would be a great captain one day and---" I stopped my rambling and my eyes focused on my captains' expression. I laughed nervously. "Sorry. I talk too much, don't I?" I said to him, my fingers tracing over my braided ponytail. He laughs ever so slightly and walks closer to me to rest his hand upon my shoulder. "It's all right, Hitomi." I couldn't help but to smile. It was rather odd to see such a captain so carefree. Did I manage to get by with a laid back guy as my captain? "Would you like a quick tour before we get down to some real work?" What, real work? Dammit.**

**I was rather anti social at times and it always took time for me to get friendly around here. I'm not an asshole. I just don't like to get all friendly with people so suddenly. The water from the shower poured on my head, causing my long and thick brown hair fall into my face. The shower really made me pretty relaxed and I wanted to go to sleep after this. But I remembered that Captain Kira had me doing some paperwork before I excused myself for a while. I grabbed a nearby towel, not being able to find my robe. I wrapped the huge towel around me and stepped into my room. That was when I had noticed that Captain Kira was in my room, staring out of the window. Well, this was odd. I wasn't sure whether to grab my clothing and dress in the bathroom or tell him to get the hell out of my room. "Ahem... Sir?" I finally said. He turns his head to me and his face turns red. He quickly looks away. "O-Oh, I-I'm sorry Hitomi. I-I should have knocked before stepping into your room.... S-Sorry." I smiled. I mean, it wasn't really a big deal. "Um, it's cool. If you need me, I'll come to you in the office once I'm done, OK?"**

**"O-Okay." He leaves my room without giving me another look. Wow. He acted like he's never seen a girl naked before. He didn't even see me naked. I still had my towel on. Geez. Although, it **_**was**_** cute to see him all embarrassed and blushing red. I laughed at the expression that he gave me. It kind of makes me wonder how he turned out to be a captain of 3rd Division. Anyway, I got dressed when headed to the office without wasting any time. Stepping into the office, he was seated before his desk, just as I left him, still working on the papers before him. "O-Oh. I'll do this, Captain Kira. I don't mind." I reached out for the huge stack of paper that mounted n his desk and tossed it onto my table. But I hadn't realized that I had a stack as big as the one I tossed up there. Gah, what am I doing to myself?? I didn't want to give him the papers back so, I better deal with it. "Um, are you sure you can do all of that?" He asks, looking at me through the stacks of paper. "Uh, I'll be fine."**

**After my left hand had completely cramped up, I took a break by walking around the garden. I don't know why but the garden always draws be in. The smell of various flowers had me a bit dizzy but I didn't care. But when I got there, someone was already there sitting in the field of flowers. It was dark outside so I couldn't tell who it was. But hey, it wouldn't hurt to go and check, right? I walked from behinds this person and they turn their head, hearing my feet rustles through grass blades. "You're that new lieutenant from 3rd Division, right?" It was a guy. He had long, red hair and he was marked with various tattoos. Cool. I smiled. "Yeah. Who are you?"**

**"Lieutenant Renji Abarai, squad 6." Oh, I've heard of this guy before. I sat down beside him and stared at the moon. It was the first time I had actually seen the moon at all. I knew there was a look of amazement on my face because I heard him laughing. "Why are you looking into the sky like that? You never seen the moon before?"**

**"Ha. To be honest, no." His smile disappears and he looks at me in slight surprise. "Are you serious?"**

**"Very." I said, laughing lightly.**

Hitomi and Renji just sat there for at least an hour. "Hey. I'm heading back in---" Renji paused, noticing that Hitomi was already asleep. Her hair covered half of her face and her body was sprawled all on the ground. He laughs at how sloppy she looks sleeping. But he looks back at her face. "She's pretty cute." He said to himself. He didn't wake her up so he gladly took her home and sent her to bed. Afterwards, he left, back to his quarters.

**I woke up to the bright light of the sun. I squinted at the blazing sun and got up from my bed. I remembered hanging out for a bit with Renji. Hm. He must have brought me back here. Whatever. I freshen up a bit and noticed that I was doing some paperwork beside my bed a few days ago. I grabbed the stack full of papers and took it to the office. Damn, I could barely see who was in front of me. So far, I haven't bumped into anyone. I got there pretty quick and I somehow managed to get the door open. "Um, Captain Kira, I finished all of these----"**

_**CRASH!**_

**The papers were sent flying everywhere. I guess I must have walked into my captain. I think we bumped heads because my forehead was hurting me. I was sent onto the floor, on top of him. If only you knew how much papers were laying on the ground! I looked at him and he looks at me. Our faces were dangerously close and it felt like a stack of papers landed on my butt. Wait a second. A stack of papers can't be exactly on my ass. I twisted my head a bit, noticing that his left hand was resting on my butt. I quickly came off of him and began to pick up the papers from the ground. "How the hell can I be so clumsy? I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to make such a sudden mess in---"**

**"It's fine." He said to me, picking up sheets as well. He looks at me and he sets down the few sheets that he had in his hands down. "Are you all right?" He said, touching a slight mark on my forehead. "Ha. I'm fine. Didn't my head hit yours?"**

**"I think." He said, smiling a bit uneasy. "Sorry."**

**"There's no need for you to be sorry, sir. It's all my fault." He looks at me for a moment then continues to pick up sheets. Hey, I just realized that I've got a pretty cute captain. Really.**

**Well, after we got all the papers up, we both went out for lunch. I wasn't really hungry and I knew he wasn't either. Instead, we both had tea.**

While the two sat by a table, they sat quietly. Hitomi didn't know what to say. "So. How do you like it here so far?" Izuru suddenly questions Hitomi. "It's great. I'm actually glad you turned out to be my captain."

"Really?" He sounded surprised. "I don't know why you should so shocked. You're a good captain. And you don't have to be an ass to prove that you are a superior." He laughs very lightly, putting the tea to his lips afterwards. Again, it grew quiet. Izuru sat there his great blue eyes staring at every single thing around him. While he did so, Hitomi stared at her captain.

_"He's really cute. His true blue eyes and his sunburst blond hair."_ She thought, smiling at her superior. His eyes pull back to his vice-captain and he catches her staring. "What is it?"

"Ha, nothing Captain Kira. Nothing."

**A/N: I don't know about you guys but I never like any of my stories. So, if it sucks don't be too hard on me. OK? And oh, if you pointed out a few mistakes, tell me so I can try and correct them. See you in the chappie! ^_^**


	2. Strange Feelings

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Bleach. Just Hitomi Misori.**

**Yay, I've got reviews! Thanks to you great reviewers, I've changed a few things around. BUT! This will be the last chapter with the bold font. I've been informed that it could be rather distracting. It's pretty true, so I'll change it in the next chapter for sure. And I'll **_**try**_** to avoid repeating the word **_**he**_** a lot. But anyway, read on! ^_^**

**Chapter 2: Strange Feelings**

**I couldn't sleep. I don't know why. I ****laid**** in my bed and twisted in it for about 30 ****minutes.****Gah****, hell with this! I got out of my bed and decided to go check up on my captain. Last time I saw him, he was still doing that stupid paperwork again. Stepping into the office, I saw my captain sleeping by his desk. I had to smile. He looked more adorable when he's sleeping. I walked over by him and tapped him once. "Sir?" I whispered. He doesn't move a bit and I sigh. I looked at his soft blond hair and tugged it once. He still doesn't move. I tugged twice this time. He groans a bit but still continued his slumber. "Ugh, Captain Kira wake up, ****geez.****"**

**He turns his head my way and I get a good look at his face. It looked soft and flawless. His lips were full and they were perfect. The sudden urge to kiss him came to mind. I shook my head. Ugh what the hell am I thinking? I wouldn't dare kiss my captain.......**

**But he's sleeping this time... Would it really matter??**

**I tried once more to wake him up. "Captain Kira, wake up." I said lightly, tapping his shoulder. Again, another failure of waking him up. He shifts slightly and he moans again. Oh my God, the noise this guy makes in his sleep!**

**I smiled at him and I found myself running my hand through this hair.**

**This was wrong.**

**But I didn't care.**

**It's obvious that there's some sort of feeling I have against my captain. It can't be love. Maybe I've got this feeling because he's just cute. His soft hair was soft. Not one strand of hair was unkempt. I once again looked at him and he was still asleep. I'm sure I can get away with kissing him, right?**

**I think so.**

**I leaned closer to his face, his steady breathing matched mines. My face was so close to his, I could smell the sweet scent of his hair. Just one more inch and----**

Izuru's eyes suddenly flashes open and she stares at him with embarrassment.

"A-Ah, I'm sorry, sir. I-I was trying to wake you up and....... I'm sorry." She said, standing to her feet. He looks at her sleepily and smiles.

"It's okay, Hitomi." Izuru slowly got out of his seat. "Thank you for waking me up." He touches her shoulder with his hand again and leaves the room. She just stood there, not sure what to do. Hitomi turns to the door, and steps out. "Does he always act so..... resistant??"

"Pretty much." A voice said from behind her. Hitomi jumps and yelps.

"Ahh! What the hell?!" She quickly turns around sees a busty woman with long locks of light hair.

"I'm sorry to scare you. I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. Nice to meet you finally." It took a moment for Hitomi to register what the woman said to her.

"O-Oh. Right. I'm Hitomi Misori, Vice-Captain of Squad 3."

"Well, that obviously explains why you were in that room, right?"

Hitomi smiles. "Hey, you look a bit down. Wanna go back to my place and talk a bit? With saki?"

"Sure. I don't mind."

Hitomi knew it from the beginning. She was going to get pretty drunk, pretty fast.

"Wow, you're a lightweight, Hitomi!" Rangiku laughs. Hitomi laughs.

"Ha, I know...... Hey, you close to my captain?"

"Hm? You mean Izuru? I guess you can say that. Why?"

"Well...... I was just curious."

"Ooooh. You _like_ him, don't you?"

"N-No! It's not like that at all! It's just...... n-nothing."

**She knew that I was lying. My face felt like I was standing over a volcano. It stung with unwanted emotion.**

**"Ooh, you're a terrible liar." Rangiku pointed out, giggling afterwards. I must admit, I always thought I was a bad liar too. **

**"Okay, fine. I might have a small crush on my captain. Whatever, it's just a crush. It'll go away."**

**"You sure about that?" She asks me, leaning forward a bit. "What do you mean?"**

**"I don't know. It could be love at first sight." Love at first sight? Some things are just too stupid to believe in. Such as love at first sight. **

**"Ha. Yeah, sure." I said sarcastically.**

**"But seriously... Izuru is a really sweet guy. He might be kind of awkward and fidgety at times but if you really get to know him, you'll might him even more." She's right. ****Anything's**** possible right now. I stood to my feet and it felt like my head was filled with water. I had a sudden urge to puke. **

**"Hey, where are you going?"**

**"I-I need some fresh air." I left her room quickly and headed into the garden. The urge to puke had instantly faded away. It was slightly breezy and the wind felt nice when the wind had my hair flowing in the air. I stared up into the dark sky, not sure what to do next. I knew that if I headed back to ****Rangiku's****, I'd puke for sure. But if I headed back to my quarters, sudden thoughts of my captain would come to me. What the hell am I supposed to do? And why do I have these feelings for Captain Kira?**

**There was a sudden wet spot landing on my cheek. For a second, I thought I was crying. I wasn't. It was merely the rain. ****Hm****, seeing rain around here always seems rare to me. It came down in sprinkles but it soon after got heavy. I just stood there, standing in the rain. It was freezing but I just stood there, not wanting to move. If I stand here... If I stand in this rain... will it wash away these unwanted feeling for captain? Will it? More so, do **_**I**_** want these feelings to go away??**

**I could have sworn someone was calling me. My eyes were still heavy and I cold barely make out who was calling me. I knew I wasn't in my bed because my clothes were soaked. Was I even wearing clothes? I managed to open my eyes and someone was kneeling over me. The beam of the sun was aiming right in my eyes and I quickly sat up, grabbing onto whoever was above me. My vision grew clear and I knew who was before me. **

**"****Hitomi****, are you all right?" I knew that voice from anywhere. **

**"R-Renji? What are you doing out here?" I must have fallen asleep during the rainstorm. Not good. **

**"I was going to ask you the same thing." I looked at him and he was giving me some odd look like I just fell out of a tree. His firm hand supported my back and it felt some what awkward. **

**"U-Um. I must have fallen asleep out here last night."**

**"You look pale. At first, I thought you were dead." I smiled and I slowly got up from the damp ground. **

**"I'm all right. My captain must be looking for me." I tried to ring out bits and pieces of my clothes but it obviously didn't change the fact that I was sleeping in the ****freakin**** rain. I turned away to hurry back to my quarters. I had to get out of these clothes and find my captain. I scurried down the hallway and slid into my room. My quick actions had been put into a complete halt. Captain Kira was in my room, staring out of the window. I guess by the noise I had made coming in, caused him to turn his head to me. **

**"Where were you?" He commanded, turing fully into my direction. **

**"I-I'm sorry, sir. I was out with Lieutenant Matsumoto and I had foolishly slept in the garden last night."**

**"In the **_**rain**_**?" He sounded worried but his expression shown no sign of it. **

**"I know. It was stupid. I didn't mean to sleep in the garden last night but there was so much things on my mind last night. Now, that you mention it, I don't honestly remember----" The shock of a cold hand was suddenly pressed upon my forehead. **

**"You're burning up." I hadn't even notice him walking towards me just now. My rambling had thrown me off. "I'm fine, Captain. Really."**

**"No, you're not. Rest for a while."**

**"No. I'm **_**okay**_**, sir. I really am." He takes my left arm and guided me to my bed. **

**"Are you **_**disobeying**_** my orders, Lieutenant ****Misori****?" His dashing blue eyes stared into my eyes. He gave me a very serious look. "Ah, no. I'm sorry. I'll rest for a while..... But my clothes---"**

**"Change them quickly and rest afterwards, all right?"**

**"Yes, sir." I walked to my closet and from the corner of my eye, I see a fluttering object floating in the air. Hell butterfly. It lands on Izuru's shoulder. I wonder what was going on. I paid attention to my closet again and grabbing a new pair of robes. I didn't want to be all nosey so I headed to the bathroom without curious questions.**

**After taking a quick shower, I knew that something had came up. Captain wasn't in my room nor he was in the office. Great. I would wander off to go look for him but I suddenly remembered that he had ordered me to go to bed. So, I did. It was hard for me to fall a sleep but my eyes tugged a bit and I was soon driving to slumber.**

Hours passed and Hitomi was still resting in her room. Izuru decides to check on her. He wasn't around here all day and he knew that she was wondering where had he left to. As he stepped into the barely lit room, the figure of Hitomi remained in the bed. He smiles, glad that she had listened to her. He found a seat by her bed and watched her as she laid still. He had never got a chance to actually see her like this before. Her long brown hair was sprawled all over her face. Her lips were parted and he smiled at how odd she slept. One leg was out of the sheets and both of her arms were all over the place. Aside from her funny sleeping ways, she had a remarkable features. She wasn't thin but her shape was perfect. Her skin was the color of sand and every part of her body seemed soft. He finally touches her forehead, taking note that her fever had slightly gone down.

"She'll be fine." He sad to himself. Apparently, his touch caused her to stir and her reddish-brown eyes opens. Instantly, her eyes ran over Izuru's face and a smile appears.

"Evening, Captain."

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, I guess." She said, sitting up from the bed. She removed the few strands form her face and pulls it back into a ponytail.

"So..... Did you have a meeting, sir?"

His smile disappears. "Yes...... An unusual for one."

"Unusual? How so?"

"It's confidential to captains only but....... there have been a new species of...... I don't know---"

"Like a monster?" She says, confused.

He sighs lightly and shakes his head. "That's the problem. I'm not sure what this things is. The point is, there's something out there....... worse than anything we had ever encountered."

"Is it like a bad experiment gone bad on a hollow or something?"

" I don't know, Hitomi. All I know is that it's dangerous and that it's been lingering around the soul society for a few days now......" His eyes land on her.

"So... I want you to be careful, OK?"

"Um, okay."

**Wow. He actually sounds worried. "Would you be worried if I **_**wasn't**_** careful??"**

**He gives me a look. Maybe my response was rude?? **

**"Of course, I would be worried. You are my lieutenant." His looks into my eyes and I knew that I was blushing. Or it could be my fever coming back. My heart began to race and I had to look away from him. **

**"Um...... Captain? I want you to know something. It might seem rude but I want you to know how I feel......" I suddenly grew nervous. My hands were tracing over the threads of the sheets. **

**"How you feel? About me?" Izuru rests his hand on my shoulder.**

**"Do I make you feel uncomfortable?? Misori-****chan****?" Just hearing him say my name, gave me a slight chill upon my spine. In a good way. Where had these feelings come from? My stupid feelings towards my captain is unacceptable. I've been so... wrong. I looked at him. **

**"I'm sorry, Kira- Taichou...... I feel like my actions are rash...... and out of line. I'm making you step out of your comfort zone...... I tried to **_**kiss**_** you... in your sleep and---"**

**"Stop." He said, shutting me up. "Please. There is no need to beat yourself up on things like that. I'm getting quiet... **_**comfortable**_**... you being around me. Your mistakes---"**

**I couldn't hold back any longer. Him talking such nonsense was irritating me. I leaned close his face and kissed him. His soft lips pressing against mines made my hands tremble a bit. I rested my hands behind his neck. I was afraid that if I pull away, I would get in trouble for it.**

**This was so wrong.**

**But it felt so right. There was a slight touch on both of my shoulders. Is he pushing me away? Shockingly, he wasn't. He kissed me back timidly. I pulled myself away from his lips and stared at him. My face burned. And I could see that he was blushing as well. He also seemed shocked. **

**"I-I'm sorry." I said, looking down at my sheets. Izuru sat there. Is he angry at me? My eyes stung a bit. No, I can't cry over something like this. Maybe if I say sorry again, he would give me some kind of sign that he's angry or not. **

"**I'm sorry, Captain---"**

**Izuru stood from the seat and looks at me. It was hard to read the expression that was on his face. Next thing you know it, he leaves my room without saying another word. What am I going to do now?**

"What am I going to do??"

**A/N:** Woah, you survived all if that up there?? I hope that this chapter wasn't confusing. No worries, the next chapter should be good. Don't forget to give me some advice. A little praise would be nice. See you in the next chappie!


	3. Rather Unexpected

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Bleach. Just Hitomi Misori.**

**Yay, chapter 3! Don't forget to R&R!**

**Chapter 3: Rather Unexpected**

"Is he avoiding me? Or am I just being paranoid?" Hitomi stood in the shower, lost in her own mind and thoughts. "No, _I'm_ avoiding _him_. I'm the one who kissed first... Wait. Am I talking to myself??" She stares at her pruned hands and shuts the water off. For the past few days, she found it _very_ uncomfortable for her to stand in the same room with Izuru. It seems that he's been acting a bit strange during their little _incident_.

"Is anybody in there? _Hello??_" Rangiku said, waving her hand in Hitomi's face.

"O-Oh. Ha, I'm sorry. Where you saying something?"

"No, but I happened to be walking around when I saw you just standing here like a statue. Are you all right?"

"No. It's just....... nothing."

Rangiku stares at Hitomi, trying to see how long would it take for her to finally tell the truth. "Ugh! Okay, fine." Hitomi gives in and finally takes a seat on a nearby stone bench.

"Okay, I'm listening." Rangiku says, sitting beside her. Hitomi might not have known Rangiku for a long time, but she was rather comfortable telling her these things.

"I kissed him."

"I'm sorry, what did you just say, Hitomi? For a second, I thought you said you _kissed_ Izuru." Rangiku sarcastically pointed out.

"Look, you can't tell anyone, Rangiku." She urged, tossing her long brain over her shoulder.

"I won't, Hitomi."

"You can't tell anyone, what?" The voice of a man startled both of the females. Hitomi looks over her shoulder and sees a shinigami with long dark hair.

"O-Oh. Captain Kyoraku. It's nice to see you on a nice day like today." Rangiku says, smiling. He stands tall and his eyes lands on Hitomi for a quick moment.

"Morning....," again, his eyes are glued to Hitomi, "And who might you be? I haven't seen your pretty face around here before."

"I-I'm Lieutenant Misori, 3rd Division." She says, standing to her feet with respect. "_Very_ nice. Captain Kira must be glad to have someone as attractive as you by his side, right?" Kyoraku said, a sly smile upon his face.

Misori laughs nervously, feeling rather uncomfortable. "Well---"

Hitomi was rudely interrupted by a hard shake on the ground beneath her. "What the hell? I _know_ I'm not the only one that felt that?" Hitomi said, suddenly sounding a bit frightened.

"And that _spiritual pressure_. It's---"

"Unnatural." Shunsui said in a serious tone. Again, the ground shook and the sound of an alarm went off. "What the hell is going on?" Rangiku urged, gripping onto her zanpakuto.

And BAM.

The sudden thought of what Izuru had told Misori came to mind.

_"It's confidential to captains only but....... there have been a new species of......"_ Hitomi remembered. Could it be true about those _things_? Even if it was, was it terrifying as it sounds?

"Prepare yourselves. It's something big." Kyoraki said, dully, his hand close to his zampakuto.

_"What am I supposed to do? Oh, Captain Kira!" _Hitomi suddenly says to herself. She darted off without saying another word to Kyoraku or Matusumoto. Obviously, she was worried about her captain. Her first priority was to find him and find out what has orders were. But he could be anywhere. For all she knew, he could be looking for _her_ as well. Worse yet, he could be fighting that thing.

Hitomi flinches at the thought of her captain fighting the mysterious creature. _"I've gotta find him! Fast!"_

Whatever that monster is, the spiritual pressure was slowly weighing her down. Of course, she wasn't going to let something like that stop her from finding Izuru. "Captain Kira!"

"Where are you, Captain Kira!" She yells out, peering down every corner and hallway. Yet, she still haven't discovered her dear captain. But the pressure was heavier on her back. Her knees quaked and she had eventually fallen to the ground.

_"Ugh, the spiritual pressure's too strong! Out of control!"_ Hitomi thought to herself.

A large hissing sound came from behind her. Hitomi slowly turns her head, desperate to see what was lurking behind her. She had no idea what the hell it was behind her. It was something that looked like it had just stepped out of a fairytale. Horrified, Hitomi attempted to regain her strength to at least, stand on her two feet.

"Why are you so lightened??" A sly, high voice coming from somewhere.

_"Ungh, I can barely stand."_ Mirosi thought, grabbing on a wall for support. There was a sudden light touch pressing upon Hitomi's shoulder. Curious, she turns her head, seeing a _not so scary_ girl, standing on her shoulder.

"Wh-Who _are_ you?" Hitomi questions the girl.

"I just wanna let my pets play for a bit. Is that okay with you?"

_"Is this kid freakin serious? Pets?!"_ She thought, her eyes shifting back from the little girl to the creature before her.

"Don't tell me you're afraid----"

Within a blink of an eye, Hitomi was in a distance between the two outsiders.

"Wh-Wha? How'd I get over here so fast---" Of course, it wasn't her who moved her from danger. There was a tight grip on her arm. It was someone that had moved her from the danger zone.

"C-Captain Kira!" She cried out, looking up to her captain. His icy blue eyes gazed down her and his tightened grip loosed slightly.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" He asked her, the sound of worry in his tone.

"N-No. I-I'm fine," She stammered, "But we've gotta get out of here----"

Being completely distracted, the creature was hovering over them. Not having enough time to move, the creature slaps Izuru into a wall. "No! Captain!" Hitomi cries out, immediately running to his aid.

"Not so fast! Soosha wants to play too!" The little girl chirps excitedly, her beastly _pet_ charging towards the two.

_"Dammit! It's moving too fast!" _Misori draws her zampakuto as quickly as possible.

"Seethe, _Riten_!" Her blade grows white hot and the ground shook once again. She charges to Soosha, hoping that her attack would be fatal. Unfortunately, the dog-like monster smacks _Riten_ effortlessly and grabs Hitomi with it's steel cold claws. "Aaahhh!!" She cries out, her bones slowly shattering in her interior.

The girl once again pops up, grinning. "Ooh. Now, Soosha's _really_ mad. Guess the game's over!" The girl teases.

_"I could see that this thing was going to attack me. I felt so... helpless. Am I really gonna die? Am I?"_ Misori thought. There weren't any options left. Her captain's down and her zampakuto was out of her grasp. The Soosha gave its final blow, roaring and finally sinking it teeth in her left shoulder. Again, she screams, feeling her muscles tear.

"Captain Kira! Lieutenant Misori!" Someone yelled out. Someone was coming. Hitomi tries to see who was coming but her eyes formed foggy. There was more than one coming.

_"Shit... I'm gonna die. This hurts...... As long as they save my captain...... Fucking pathetic....."_ Again, Misori thinks to herself. She felt her body breaking down. Every part of herself was shutting off.

_"Lieutenant!!"_

_"I failed saving her..."_ Izuru waited by Hitomi Misori's room, constantly hearing the muffled screams of his lieutenant on the other side of the door. For every cry he hears from her, he winces in discomfort. Clearly, he was angry. Angry at himself. All he can do right now is stand on the outside, taking in every single cry his lieutenant has made.

After a another few moments of cries, the door of her room finally opens. Members of Squad 4 and Captain Retsu Unohana steps out, exhaling a very light sigh. Her gentle eyes gaze up to the worried captain.

"She's going to be fine, Izuru. There's no need to put so much stress upon yourself." She says, a smile resting on her face. He looks at her with his fading blue eyes.

"It doesn't matter. I didn't try my best to save her. She could have _died_."

"Lieutenant Misori... she must be very special to you. Am I correct?"

Kira's facial expression slightly changes. "I...... S-She's my lieutenant. I can't afford her getting hurt..."

Unohana smiles genuinely. "It seems to me that she's important you...... She is sleeping right now but... You can go and see her."

Without another word, she walks away, leaving Izuru stand alone. He sharply exhales and slowly stepped into the room. The room was somewhat dim, sunset was near. Kira cautiously walked towards her bed. Once getting a good look at her, he shakes his head.

"I could have stopped this from happening..." He mumbles to himself, finally taking a seat by her bed. Her shoulder and her upper half was securely bandaged. Just by looking at her, guilt ran through Izuru. Even in her sleep, the expression on her face was evidence that she was still hurting.

"I'm _sorry_, Hitomi." He suddenly says, taking her right hand in his hands. He felt so terrible.

"You can blame me for all of this. As long as you don't hate me........"

"Mmn... I _don't_ blame you, Captain...." He quickly looks up and sees his lieutenant awake. Better yet, she was smiling. She sniffles and slowly sits up.

"N-No, don't get up. You won't be able to heal quickly." Izuru urges. Of course, she obeys her captain and lays back comfortably.

"What happened? I mean, after I went out cold...." Misori finally asks. Izuru lets her hand go.

"I'm honestly not sure. I remember soul reapers from various divisions came to help. Then that girl and her monster left... It doesn't make sense. We still don't know what they were or where they had came from----"

"Did _you_ get hurt?" Hitomi suddenly says, cutting her captain short of a few words.

"I-I'm fine--- don't worry about me. Worry about yourself."

"Okay, fine. But is it all right if I ask you a question?"

Curiosity came to Kira, wondering what she had to say.

"What is it?" He finally asks.

Misori's eyes were glued to her captain. "You know...... th-that night? When I..... _k-kissed_.... you?" The two found themselves feeling uneasy.

"I just want to say sorry again. I-I was wrong to........" She couldn't complete her thoughts. Honestly, she wasn't sorry at all. What was really bothering her altogether was, that she wasn't sure how Izuru had felt.

"Oh. That. Well---"

"Stop doing this to me, Captain Kira." Her tone sounded like she was irritated. Misori took her time to sit up and take a good look at her captain.

"I know that I'm new to this place and everything but..... my _feelings_ for you... I felt terrible when you walked away from me that night. I thought you hated me because I kissed you." Slowly, the eyes of Kira's vice-captain filled with tears.

"I _really_ like you Captain Kira. And.... I don't think I can hide my feelings anymore. Just tell me.... Tell me if you feel the same way about me." Her pretty red-brown eyes shimmered with tears. On the other hand, Izuru just sat there, not sure what to say. He _knew_ what to say but.......

"Hitomi. I am your captain. You're my lieutenant. It's not right---"

"O-Oh... Right. I get it... I'm sorry for thinking that you would feel the same---" The warm hand of Izuru slowly touched Mirosi's face. Surprised, Hitomi gives him a confused look.

"Captain. What are you doing?"

A smile appears on his face. "You weren't listening to me........"

"What are you saying? That you _like_ me t-too?"

Both, Misori and Kira's face flushed crimson. "C-Captain, I..."

Hitomi leaned close to Izuru, his face getting more crimson as she got closer. It took forever, but their lips finally met. Both his hands dropped down to her waist, carefully pulling her closer. Her heart pace quickened, trying to believe what's _really_ going on.

"W-wait. Wait. wait." Her hands pushed him away slightly. He had the look of wonder on his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, worried.

Her face still had a tint to it. "Um, no. It's just... everything's happening so quickly."

"I'm sorry. Then do you want me to stop---"

"N-No! Don't stop. I'm just _glad_."

They both smile.

"Me too." Izuru said, kissing her once again.

**A/N:** Well, what do you think? Is it still good so far? Ugh, it still sounds like I'm constantly repeating the words,_he, she,_ and stuff like that. I guess it's a bad habit. And I think I'm missing a few words out. Sorry, I'm a little stupid. But again, give me some more advice. See ya!!


	4. An Unpleasant Dream

**Chapter 4: An Unplesant Dream**

**Ugh, sorry for taking a long time to update. There's like three computers in my house and they ALL crashed! Well, two crashed and the third one is simply acting stupid. But I'm here with the chapter four anyway! Be happy. And oh, this new monster thing; the only thing I can resemble it to is that dog hound creature from the first Hellboy. The only difference between the two is that **_**my**_** dog hound is much bigger and it can stand on its hind legs. So...... yeah.**

**Um, back to the story. ^_^**

"I'm fine. It just _hurts_. Really bad." Hitomi goranded, slowly unraveling the bandages on her shoulder. Izuru made a slight face for everytime that she winced in pain.

"Captain... If you don't mind, could you check how does the back view look like?" Hitomi asks, rubbing the back of her neck.

Kira wasn't the squeamish type but, he wasn't sure if he was comfortable looking at Misori's bruises and everything. Although, Hitomi had repeatedly told him that none of this was his fault, he still puts the blame on himself.

"Um, y-yeah. Sure." He turns her around and takes a look at the huge gash that was left on her back. Izuru yet again makes a face, looking at how terrible the bite looks.

"It healed a bit. Thousgh, it needs more time to completely heal."

Misori heaves a sigh and recovers the shoulder with fresh bandages. "Well... I think I can get back to work now."

"Absolutely _not_, Hitomi." He says, completely against her suggestions.

"Why not? My shoulder's gonna heal just fine whether I lay in this room or not."

After fixing herself up, Misori grabs her zampakuto and rests it on her right side.

"I'm going back to work." Before Izuru got a chance to say anything, she was already walking towards the exit.

"You're staying _here_." Izuru pressed, already behind her and pulling her back by the waist.

Suddenly, Hitomi's body temperature rose, just by having him so close.

"Are you going to _disobey_ your captain's order??" Izuru questions, his breath tickling her neck.

"Alright, alright." She tursn to him. Her red-brown eyes met with his true blue eyes.

"Ha, you're cute, _Captain_."

The slightest hint of red appears upon Izuru's face." You can't call me that."

"Why not?" She asked, running her hand in his hair. He frowns a bit. "Stop. What if someone sees us, Hitomi?"

But Misori laughs and rests her hands behind his neck. "No one is going to see us, _Izuru_."

His brow goes up slightly. "D-Did you just call me Izur--"

Poor Kira was stopped short when his dear lieutenant gives him a kiss.

"Hitomi! Are you all r---" The door swings open and Renji appears. Instantly, Izuru and Hitomi pushed each other away as quickly as possible. Shocked, Renji tried to think of something to say.

"I-I should've knocked--"

"It's all right... I-I was just leaving." Izuru suddenly says. Without another word, he leaves the room.

Afterwards the room sat very still. The odd silence made this whole situation very awkward. Misori tried to think of some sort of explaination. But is there really any excuse for what Renji had saw?

"So... you and _Izuru_..." Renji started to say.

"You can't tell anyone about what you saw, Renji--"

"Relax. I'm not going to tell anyone. You're my friend."

The look of relief settles on her face. Renji smiles and puts his hand on her left shoulder.

"Ow!" She yelps in pain.

"Crap. My bad." He says, taking his hand off of her without hesitation.

"So, how are you feeling? Are you leaving here today?"

"No, I'm staying here a while longer. My captain wants me to stay here longer..... Stupid dog; biting an innocent girl like me." She complains, once again rubbing her injured shoulder. Now that Misori thinks about it, this bite of hers was really hurting. It made her feel _infected_.

"He must really like you... that lucky bastard." Renji comments.

Hitomi smiles genuinely. "I guess so. But... he's like a little baby."

Renji makes a face. "A _baby_? Uh, you lost me."

She laughs and takes a seat on her bed. "What I mean is, he's so gentle with everything. He's loyal and... ugh, it's hard to explain... I guess the easiest way for me to explain this is that I feel like the _man_ in our relationship and he's the woman."

Renji cracks a laugh. "Ha, ha! That may be true but don't let his _difference_ fool you. Izuru's not weak."

"I know." She added, remembering how fast Izuru came to her, that day since the invasion.

The short silence was broken when the grumbling sound of someone's stomach growled. "Ha, ha. Sorry. I haven't eaten in days." Hitomi says, abashed.

_"Wake up, sleepyhead!" The sound of a girl's voice bothered Hitomi from her slumber. Slowly opening her eyes, a burst of colors surrounded her. On guard, she sat up quickly. Her eyes observed her surroundings, realizing that she wasn't in the bed she was sleeping in. Instead, she found herself laying on the ground of a field, covered with fall leaves._

_"_Where the hell am I?_" Hitomi thought, standing to her feet._

_"Hey, over here! Behind you!" Again, a very familiar voice calls out. Hitomi turns quickly. There, stood a girl with short black hair and red eyes._

_"Y-You! You're that _girl_!" Hitomi says, grabbing for her zampakuto. Reaching for it, she felt nothing on her hip._

_The girls giggles loudly. "Oh, no. We're you trying to hurt me? I can't allow you to do that, now. You should be glad my little Soosha isn't here."_

_"What do you want from me?" Misori snaps._

_The girl stands there, her hands behind her back. "I just wanna talk... about your shoulder... Does it hurt?"_

_Misori bites her bottom lip. She didn't know what to do. Answering this girl's question wasn't going to make her feel any more comfortable either. Al she could do is stand there, hoping this is all a dream._

_"Fine. You don't have to say anything to me. I already know that it hurts. A lot. Do you _wanna_ know why it hurts so bad?"_

_"..."_

_"DO YOU??" The girl's voice sounded annoyed._

_"Dammit, what do you want from me?"_

_Her girl sighs loudly and grabs Misori her collar._

_"Now you listen to me very well, Hitomi Misori. Don't let my size fool you. I'm trying to help you, idiot! Now, you want to know why that pain in your shoulder hurts so bad or NOT?"_

_Shocked at this little girl's strength to bring her to her knees, she finally answers the girl._

_"Yes, tell me!"_

_The satisfied look on the girl's voice gave Hitomi the chills._

_"Okay. Firstly, you've been poisoned. It's something tha Soosha likes to do once and a while. After the poison runs through your body, you'll slowly start to turn."_

_"T-Turn? Into what?" Hitomi asked, scared._

_"Silly! What do you think? You turn into _his_ little pet. Isn't that fun!" The girls says, laughing loudly._

_Misori couldn't believe it. This couldn't be true. It's all too much to be possible. She shuts her eyes hoping that she'll wake up in bed._

_But this couldn't be a dream, could it---_

[Misori's POV]

"Aaahh!!" I sat up from my sleep. It _was_ a dream after all. That stupid girl. Ugh! My heart couldn't stop racing. Was I scared? I was even breathing uneven.

"Lieutenant Misori, are you all right?" Someone yelled out at me. My wide eyes turned to my right, now noticing that there was a Division Four soul reaper standing there. How did I _not_ notice this boy beside me?

"U-Um, yes. I'm all right. I had a _bad_ dream." How old was I dreaming about stupid stuff?

"Do you need anything, Lieutenant?" The boy says, running his hand in his hair.

"No, I'm fine. Um, may I ask what you are doing here?" I asked him. He looks at me, somewhat confused. Did I say something wrong?

"This is my job. I've been assigned to watch over you occasionally." Even though the room was pretty dark, I could still see this boy's bright yellow eyes.

"Oh. Is it too much to ask what your name is?"

The boy finally steps close enough for me to see his face. He had golden eyes and very dark brown hair. He was very pretty. "I'm Akira Shimatsu."

Hm, never heard of him. But, there's lots of people I don't know here. Let's be serious here. Do I really need someone to watch over me? It's not like I was poisoned. Ugh, the word poison repeated in my head. It reminded me too much of my horrible dream. What really bothers me is that I'm not sure if that whole talk with that red eyed girl was real or not. It was too vivid to _not_ be real. Yet, I can't forget that I was dreaming.

"Are you ok? You seem hungry."

I shook my head out of my trance, almost missing what Akira was saying to me. "I haven't eaten in a long time so I don't mind eating. Is it too much to ask for, at this time of the night?"

"No, not at all. Your orders are to be done." I blinked a few times. He leaves the room and I was alone again. The sharp pain in my shoulder bothered me again. Damn, it hurts! Where's my captain when I need him? It felt better when he's here with me. But I knew that he must be exhausted with paperwork. Not to mention, worrying about me everyday isn't helping. Makes me wonder what is he doing right now.

He's probably sleeping at his desk.

"Are you happy about something?"

"Ah! O-Oh! Akira, you scared me." Again, I didn't ntoice that he was there. Pretty freakin fast for a kid.

"Oh. Sorry." He hands me a saucer of ricecakes and a cup of tea. The tea smelled really good. Too good maybe.

"So... you looked happy about something. Like you weren't injured at all." He says to me.

"It's nothing." I took a sip from my cup afterwards. Yeah, it _was_ good. Sooner or later, I was going to want more.

"Are you in love?"

I almost choked when I heard Akira suddenly says that to me. I placed the cup down and I gave him a look. It was like a switch clicked when I looked at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ask such a _rude_ question. I didn't mean to pry."

I wasn't angry at him. It was just strange that he would ask such a question. My eyes felt heavy all over again. "Um. I'm going to sleep, ok? So, you can go if you like, Akira."

"I'll stay until you fall asleep." I lay back into my pillow. I gave the boy one last look before I fell back to sleep. Let's just hope that this time I don't _fall back _into another bad dream.

**A/N: Sry, I think I rusehd throught this one. I couldn't help but to let Hitomi speak from her POV. At least it's not in bold and confusing as it was before. I thought this chapter was pretty slow but..... whatever. I'm still open for advice. A little compliments would be nice too. ^_^**


	5. Wake Up Call

**Chapter 5: Wake Up Call**

The sound of the clock's hand tickling every second was beginning to bother Izuru. Waiting was never this frustrating. Ever. The room sat still and paperwork rests on his desk, sky high. He takes a glance at it and makes a tiny groan. All day he's been anxious for someone to arrive. Never, Izuru has been _this_ impatient before.

Just then, the door opens and Izuru suddenly stands from his seat. But when the door opens, it wasn't the person who he expected it to be.

"O-Oh. Captain Hitsugaya." The boy gives Kira a look.

"Were you expecting someone else, Captain?" Toushirou questions him, putting down a stack of papers on his desk. Izuru's jaw almost dropped once the heavyweight papers smacked on his desk.

"You're behind. That's unusual." Toushirou comments once again. Kira laughs nervously.

"Yes, I know. I'm---"

"Captain." Both Toushirou and Izuru turned to see who spoke out. By the entrance of the door, stood Lieutenant Misori. She smiled brightly and the look of relief appears on Izuru's face.

"How are you feeling?" Izuru says.

Misori walks to her desk. "I'm feeling fine--- Good day, Captain Hitsugaya."

"Lieutenant." Toushiro turns to Izuru. "I need these done before the day is done. Lucky for you, you're lieutenant is well again. She can help you."

Afterwards, Toushirou leaves.

Instantly, Misori grabs a stack of paperwork off of her captain's table.

"I know that I've been out for a while. But it seems that you weren't doing a thing during my absence." Hitomi says, finally taking a seat.

"I guess I wasn't."

The two got back to their work and yet again the room was filled with silence.

[Kira's POV]

So much paperwork. I can barely concentrate. I take a look at Hitomi.

Hm. She seems fine with all of that paperwork before her. I wonder if she's all right. That bite---

Such a site to see. Just thinking about it made me feel guilty all over again. How could I allow that _thing_ get to her? Ruining such a beautiful girl's body. I can't imagine what could have happened if the others hadn't came around. Misori could have died.

And it would have been all my fault.

"Captain? Are you all right? Is something bothering you?" I looked up and the look of concern was on my lieutenant's face.

"I'm fine. It's so much paperwork, that's all."

She tilts her head and gives me a look.

"But... You've been on that same paper for the last fifteen minutes." I took a glance at the paper before me. Blotches of ink was all over it. Another paper gone to waste. How could I be so distracted?

The sound of a chair shifting caused me to look up once more. Hitomi was walking towards me. She still had that worried look on her face.

"What can I do to make you all better again?"

"I'm fine, Hitomi---"

"Let's take a walk for a bit. The weather's perfect." Her hands grabbed a hold of my wrists and she tugs me a bit.

"But there's so much paperwork--"

"_So_ what? _Izuru_." Izuru?

"I'm your captain, _Hitomi_."

"Oh please. Since when are captains allowed to kiss their lieutenants?" Is there really a response for that question? All I could really do is sit here and not answer.

"Exactly. Now, walk with me." I finally moved myself from the desk. She smiles at me and lets go of my wrists. Again, I had to smile too. With such a beautiful face like that, who _wouldn't_ have the urge to smile back?

It was rather bright outside. Too bright maybe. But Misori was really enjoying the weather. As long as she's happy, I should be happy.

Wait... did I just say... what I _thought_ I said?

As long as she's happy, I should be happy.

"Izuru." I knew that voice. The voice had came from behind me. Behind me, stood Momo.

"Momo..."

She takes a seat beside me. There was an odd smile on her face. It had me wondering why she was looking at me like that.

"What is it, Momo?"

"Nothing. I happen to walk by and I noticed you _watching_ your lieutenant."

"Watching? You lost me." Funny this was, I knew _exactly_ what she was talking about.

"You were watching her like... you love her." Love? Love never came to mind. And just thinking about it made a bit uneasy.

"I don't think it's love. You can say that I like my lieutenant."

It felt like I was lying to myself. I know for sure that I, _more than_, like Hitomi. But love? Momo frowns a bit.

"Are you sure, Izuru? I wish I could show you how you were watching her. I think it's cute."

My face felt hot. Maybe I _was_ in denial. There's no doubt that Misori was a very attractive person. And her eyes were always looking at me with happiness. Her smile was warm and welcoming as---

Could it be? Am I _in_ love with my Lieutenant?

"Momo... Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Now, Momo flushed a shade of red. "Well... I'm not sure. I never really _felt_ that way about anyone."

"Oh..." Thankfully, the conversation had ended. But my feelings remained.

Time was moving quickly. We were out here long enough and I cannot afford to delay any longer on paperwork. I stood and Momo followed suit.

"I guess you're busy. I'll see you around, Izuru. Tell Lieutenant Misori I said _hello_."

"Yeah." She leaves and I headed back to the office while Hitomi followed along side me.

For some odd reason the word, love, kept racking my brain. It was beginning to bother me. I'm not saying that it's wrong to love Misori but... it's just the fact that I'm not sure if I love her or not. If this is bothering me now, then for sure this wouldn't be the last of these thoughts.

[Kira's POV Ends ^_^ ]

_"Dammit... Not this again." Once again, Hitomi's comfortable slumber was interrupted by the laugh of a girl. Her eyes opened and a blast of winter breeze blew at her. Unlike her last dream, she was laying in a field of snow. She quickly stood up, reaching ofr her zampakuto. Luckily, this time it was there. She drew it and stood defensively._

_"Stop doing this! I get it! I'm going to turn into your moster's chew toy!" Misori was getting angry._

_"Aw, don't be like that, Hitomi! It's going to take a while before you start turning." The girl appears before her, along with that devilish grin on her face._

_"Then what do you want from me?!" Hitomi yells, swinging her blade. The girl effortlessly moves away and she bursts out laughing again._

_"Temper, temper, now! I'm trying to help you, Hitomi."_

_"Enough talk! _Seethe, Riten_!"_

_The ground violently shakes and the snow beneath her feet turns into boiling water._

_"Ooh! Your zampakuto possess something like fire, right? That's cool. But it's not gonna hurt me!" The girl runs off and Hitomi furiosuly runs behind her._

_"Ha, you're pretty fast! Look behind you though. Soosha looks a bit hungry." Hitomi growls and quickly turns around, seeing the beastly creature charging at her like before._

_Right when Soosha was close enough, she jumps right on his back, piercing Riten in his spine. The cry of Soosha rang in her ears, hurting them._

_"Noo! Soosha!" The girl yells out, running towards the two. She too hops on her 'pet's' back and angry punches Hitomi away. The impact caused Hitomi to fly far back._

_The dog whimpered. Riten was still stabbed in his spine. Still, the girl begins to coo her pet._

_"No, no, no. It's all right. I'll get it out." She grabs Riten and she groans in pain. Eventually, she managed to get Riten out, tossing it away. Her hands were painted with her own blood._

_"That's a pretty dangerous zampakuto. It nearly ruined my little hands." The girl says._

_Misori finally stands to her feet again, wiping the blood from her lip. "Who _are_ you?"_

_The girl sighs. "I'm Rin. Sorry for not introducting myself from the beginning."_

_Rin looks at Soosha from the corner of her eye. "I _was_ going to help you a bit but... you stabbed my Soosha... I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you in the worst way."_

_"What are you talking about?" Hitomi says._

_"I'll make a deal with you Hitomi Misori. I'll _remove_ Soosha's poison from you if you... go to the world of the living and... kill Keiichi Obata."_

_Hitomi's red-brown eyes widened in shock. "K-Keiichi..... He's already dead! And what do you know about him?"_

_A grin appears on Rin's face. "Hitomi... Keiichi's not dead. If you go to the world of the living, he'll be there." Rin turns away and leaves._

_"WAIT! You're not making any sense! Keiichi's dead, RIN!" Tears filled Hitomi's eyes._

_"KEIICHI IS DEAD!" Misori yells again. A sudden sharp pain in her shoulder caused her to drop to her knees._

_"_This dream needs to end!_" She thought, clenching to her shoulder._

_"Come on! Wake up, Hitomi! WAKE---"_

"UP!" Hitomi screamed, sitting up from her bed. Her heart couldn't stop racing.

"Ugh! Dammit! Stupid freakin dreams!" She says to herself, turning on her lamp. Although, Misori knew it was a dream, she was begining to believe that they were real. Very real. Her lip was still bleeding.

"If they're real then..... Keiichi's alive!"

Hitomi hops out of her bed and grabs her zampakuto.

"He's gotta be alive! She can't lie like that!" She yells at herself. Misori heads to the door and opens it. Before the door, stood Akira.

"Akira! What are you doing here?" Akira blinks at her and he holds up a necklace.

"This must be yours. I found it in the room you were recovering in."

Examining it quickly, she takes it and brushed passed him.

Curious, he yells, "Hey, where are you going?"

"I have to find someone!" She says, running down the hall.

"Where?"

"World of the living!"

"WHAT! You can't be serious!" Akira stood there. None of this actually registered until Hitomi was out of sight.

"Crap! I've gotta find someone!" The first person he could think of was her captain. Running down the corridors, he bumps into someone. It didn't matter to him.

"Hey, watch where you're going, punk!" The soul reaper says. Akira looks at him.

"Sorry! I've gotta find Captain Kira! His lieutenant's running away!"

"Running away? What the hell are you talking about?"

Akira doesn't answer and scurries off to find Izuru.

On the other hand, Hitomi runs to find Keiichi.

**A/N: That chapter felt kinda short. Oh well. You're probably wondering who Keiichi Obata is. Well, let's just say that he was **_**very**_** close to Hitomi. I don't wanna ruin it for you, now. Just wait for the next chappie! ^_^**


	6. A Little Note

A LITTLE NOTE

Author's Note: Hello, everyone. And happy holidays. I know, I'm late but I've been pretty busy these days. And honestly, I've been in a pissy mood lately. Not at my lovely readers though. I'm kind of aware that I've been putting a huge delay on my chapters. The main reason why is because I've got a writer's block. Which is strange because I'm rarely on a writer's block. But don't worry. I'll try and update real soon. Until then, I'll see you in the next chapter. ^_^ 


	7. Impossible

**Chapter 6: Impossible**

**Finally a new chapter. I don't like it but I think I'll like the next chapter better. I'm sure you should too.**

"What the hell was she thinking?"

Momo sat there while Renji continued to complain about Hitomi's unexpected departure.

"I'm worried. Especially about Izuru."

Renji calms down a bit and leans on a nearby wall.

"I know what you mean. I heard he and another soul reaper went to the world of the living before daybreak."

"But this doesn't make any sense. There must be a reason why she left so suddenly." Momo adds.

"Rumor has it that she went to see someone." Renji replies.

"I just hope everything would turn out all right."

~MEANWHILE...~

_"I've got to find him! I must!"_ Hitomi thought to herself, running. Running nowhere. She had no idea where Keiichi would be and she was beginning to feel a bit tired. It's been 12 hours since she had left the soul society. Where was she running to? But suddenly, she pulls to a halt.

"What am I doing?.... Let's face it...... Keiichi might not be here......" Her mind began to wander. Back into the past.

_~Flashback~_

_"Keiichi!" Hitomi happily runs down the hall, hoping that she would find Keiichi. She turns the corner and bumps into a few people._

_"Hey, what's the rush, Misori?" One of the students questioned. But Hitomi continues to run. It took a while for Hitomi to realize that Keiichi would be outside. Probably training by himself or something. Making a quick run to the outside field, Keiichi appears._

_"Keiichi! Guess what?!" Hitomi yells, Keiichi looking at her in slight puzzlement. She stops before him and a huge smile was planted on her face._

_"Hey, Hitomi. Did something happen?" Keiichi asked._

_"Yeah! I'm graduating early! Isn't that great?" Her eyes glowed in excitement and he couldn't help but to feel happy for her._

_"That's great, Hitomi!" He grabs her into a hug. Her smile fades away but her cheeks flushed. It's been a while. That she had hidden feelings for her close friend. Those feelings were kept inside, afraid that they would ruin her friendship with Keiichi. _

_"Keiichi--"_

_"Hey, there's something I wanted to give you." He says, suddenly pulling her away and reaching for something around his neck. There was something resting on his neck. For a moment, he fumbles with the clasp of the necklace. Finally unclasping it, he puts it around her neck._

_"What is it?" Misori questioned, examining at the symbol that hung at the end._

_"It's the sign of infinity. Forever." He informed her. Again, she blushes._

_"Forever? Forever what?" Before she got a chance to look up, he kisses her on her forehead._

_"Keiichi!" The red on her face grew brighter._

_"Forever meaning that our friendship would be forever."_

_Hitomi couldn't sleep. Just the thought of graduating early, made her more excited. But a sudden knock on her door caused her to jump. She hops out of her bed and opens the door. There stood Keiichi with a gentle smile on his face. Confused, Hitomi gives him an unsure look._

_"What are you doing here, Keiichi? We have class in the morning---"_

_"It's all right. Besides, I know you can't sleep. You must be happy about graduating." Keiichi says, allowing himself in the room._

_"Well... I _am_ excited but.... when I hear you talking about it, it makes me feel bad. You wouldn't be graduating with me."_

_"I told you, it's all right. But... I _am_ a little jealous." He admits, taking a seat on her bed._

_"Don't say that. You're making me feel guilty."_

_But Keiichi laughs. "I'm kidding, Hitomi."_

_It might look like he was kidding, but Misori knew he wasn't. As a matter of fact, she felt uncomfortable mentioning it around him now. His smile quickly disappears and he stood to his feet once again._

_"Hey, Hitomi." He says, walking before her. Instantly, her face turns red. Lucky for her, the room was very dim with light._

_"Yeah, Keiichi? Is there something you want to say?" There was a look in his eyes. A serious look. The expression almost scared her._

_"There was another reason why I gave you that necklace."_

_"Hm? Really? Why else did you give me this?"_

_"Because... we might not see each other again. Anything can happen, Hitomi. I.... I love you, Hitomi. I don't want you to forget about me."_

_The sound of a gasp passed Misori's lips. She was speechless. Not one word had escaped from her mouth. What _is _there to say?_

_"I..... Keiichi... I-I don't know what to say---"_

_"Say that you won't forget about me."His hands found hers and he held him tightly. There was the look of determination in his eyes. Like he was afraid of losing her._

_"So... You don't want me to go?" She finally asks, her hands still held in Keiichi's firm grasp._

_"Yes... and no. I want you to be happy, Hitomi. But I don't want you to leave me.... But if this means a lot to you then you shouldn't worry about me and my feelings."_

_Misori's eyes shimmered with tears._

_"Keiichi... I'm sorry..."_

_~Flashback Ends~_

"I'm sorry, Keiichi... I'm _so_ sorry... For leaving you..." Hitomi stood in place, letting the past of her old friend run through her mind. She found her body slightly trembling and her eyes sting. Her knees were beginning to buckle and there was this sharp pain of guilt stabbing her in the chest. It came down to the point when Misori's eyes couldn't stop flooding itself from tears.

"Keiichi... Forgive me." Her knees dropped and she buried her hands in her face. She wept loudly in her hands, not caring one bit.

But a slight touch to her shoulder caused her to jump in slight surprise. Turning her sparkling red-brown eyes to the figure standing beside her, there was a hint of relief in her eyes. She reaches her arms out to the figure and tears continued to stream down her face. The figure frowns a bit and slowly went down by her side.

"Oh _c-captain_......." Hitomi cried out, Izuru embracing her closely. He was angry at her for leaving so sudden but seeing her cry changed his attitude for the moment. At this point, Akira wondered what relationship did Misori and Kira had.

Collecting herself, she looks into her captain's face.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I should have told you everything..." Hitomi wipes her eyes a bit.

"You fool. What were you thinking? Do you know worried I was?"

"You were worried?"

Izuru doesn't answer. He stands up once again and he looks at Akira. "We're going back to the soul society immediately."

"No, we can't." Hitomi spoke up, rising to her feet as well. "Rin told me that Keiichi would be here."

Both Izuru and Akira had a puzzled look on their faces.

"Rin? Keiichi?" Akira repeats.

"Rin... is the girl that keeps appearing in my dreams... she's the intruder that came along with that _creature_... I should have told you that she was constantly in my dreams."

"You mean the intruders that entered the Seireitei a few weeks ago?" Akira asked, still confused.

"Yes. She told me that I would find someone here."

Izuru seemed bothered by the fact that she came all the way out here because an enemy told her to.

"How naive can you be? Believing someone like _her_?" Izuru complained, "At that, she was in your _dreams_---"

"You don't understand, Captain Kira.... Keiichi Obata was... _special_ to me..."

The slightest hint of envy appears upon Izuru's face. But Akira has the look of surprise.

"Hold on. Keiichi Obata? The guy that committed suicide in his room? I've heard about him before.... Lieutenant Misori.... Did you know that guy?"

Her eyes lowered to the ground and she nods slowly. "He was my best friend....." The rim of her eyes were damp with tears again.

"You're not making any sense, Lieutenant. If your friend is dead, why are you looking for him?" Kira asked, his tone sounding a bit aggressive. None of this was making sense at all. Hitomi knew it didn't but she just wanted to believe that Keiichi was still alive somehow.

"Like I said, Captain. You don't understand. You don't know how close he was to me. I didn't want to leave him but... I did.... And he killed himself... _because of me_." Tears spilled over and her face flushed. Akira frowned. Although he was still confused about the whole situation, he still felt terrible about it.

"Let's go back to the soul society and we can talk---"

"_No_, Akira! Stop saying that, OK? Keiichi has to be here. Rin told me! She has to be---"

"That's _enough_!!" Izuru yells, grabbing and shaking her a bit. Immediately, she stops crying. "Now... I don't know what the _hell_ is going on but you're taking advantage of your title. How could you act so carelessly and listen to the enemy? Understand this, Hitomi. Your friend is _gone_."

Misori didn't want to believe it but, her captain was right. It's impossible that Keiichi Obata could be living. Yet, there was still a feeling in her gut that he's still around. Then again, she has to remember her place.

"Fine... Then let's go back to the soul society." She finally answers with defeat. The disturbed expression on her captain's face slowly eases into a neutral. Izuru turns away from his lieutenant and he gives off a light sigh.

"Wait... Before we go... Am I going to get into trouble?"

"That's not up to me..."

The hot sticky air of the room was beginning to irritate Hitomi. Even the low buzzing sound that came from the ceiling light annoyed her. Although Misori's 'punishment' hasn't yet been announced, she must stay behind bars until then. So far, it's been three hours since Hitomi remained isolated from the others.

"Hey. You're back." The sound of a woman's voice had entered into the room. Hitomi's eyes turned and sees Rangiku on the other side of the bars. In a way, Hitomi felt a bit embarrassed. In a way, Misori thought she deserved to be in here. Just running off so carelessly. Not even having ONE thought of consequences. "Go ahead and laugh. Rangiku."

"I'm not going to laugh at you, Hitomi. It's been a while since we talked." Rangiku stepped closer to the bars. It wouldn't hurt to talk to someone. Hitomi sighs deeply and rises from the bed. "Then that means you don't know why I left, right?"

"I sure do. I think everybody knows." Gossip always got around the seireitei pretty quickly. But there was no surprise there.

"So... Do you think I'm going to lose my position?"

"I don't think so. I'm sure your captain is talking on your behalf." The eyes of Hitomi dulled a bit. The look of doubt. "Hm? What's the look?"

A weak smile appears on Hitomi's face. "You see.... I've been having dreams... about the intruders that attacked me..... They're so vivid, you would think they're real. That's when the girl in my dreams told me that my _friend_ was in the world of the living....."

"A _friend_? And you believed some enemy in your dream? I'm not going to lie to you, Hitomi. That sounds rather stupid."

"I know... But I was hoping that he was there......"

Rangiku gives Hitomi a look. "Do you... _like_ this guy?"

"Well....... Not anymore, that is. Besides, he's dead."

Yet another look appeared on Matsumoto's face. But before she could comment on Hitomi's response, the presence of someone else entered the room.

"Oh, Captain Kira." Misori says out loud. Rangiku turns her head and sees Izuru standing not too far from the gate. "Rangiku... Can you please excuse us for a moment?"

Gladly, she nods anode exits the room without another word. As Hitomi stood in the same room with her captain, she grew uncomfortable. She wasn't exactly sure why but it didn't matter. Izuru slowly stepped closer to the gate, his eyes not showing any sign of happiness or joy. "Come here. Lieutenant."

His voice had a hint of anger and it scared Hitomi a bit. Probably because she hasn't seen this kind of look in his eyes before. And so, she stepped closer to her captain, silently praying that she wouldn't get a scolding. But instead, as she got closer, he reaches for her hand.

His ivory hands held her hand tightly. And his pale blue eyes gazed upon her face. It was like his attitude changed within the blink of an eye.

"Captain... I don't understand." Well, this was a surprise. To her especially. She kind of expected to get an earful of how stupid she was.

"I want you to talk to me. Tell me something, Hitomi.... I feel that you aren't comfortable being around me....... Do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

For a moment, Hitomi didn't hear one word Izuru had said. She was so fixed on the fact that Izuru was being so.......

"No. I'm comfortable around you. You should know that alread---"

"Then _act_ like it!"

Misori jumps and yanks her hand away from Izuru. _"I guess he _is_ angry at me."_

"I-I'm sorry, Captain Kira. I should have told you _everything_. I was stupid. I still am... Everything happened so suddenly and I was simply acting on my emotions...... Please...... don't hate me."

Izuru closed his eyes and heaves a sigh. "Are you going run off again? To find your former lover?"

Her red-brown eyes widened in disbelief. Never she had thought of her captain saying such a thing to her.

"Former lover? I have no former lover... I left because I thought I could see Keiichi one more time---"

"If he _was_ alive... would you have forgotten about me?"

Hitomi's heart began pounding like crazy. Was this some sort of way to show his feelings?

"Captain....... are you saying that.... you......."

"It has been decided that you receive a _warning_ for your actions, Lieutenant Hitomi Misori." He says suddenly. From that moment, Hitomi felt relieved. A little smile appeared on her face.

"You talked on my behalf, right? Did you, captain?"

"Of course, I did. As a result, you got by. But if you _ever_ run away again....... It will be the day you lose your name as a lieutenant. Do you understand me?"

Once again, his tone of voice was unsteady. Anger struck his voice. It was side that Hitomi never wanted to see again. Not ever.

**A/N: Okay, I'm back on track (I think). I'm officially off of my writer's block and my computers are up and running smoothly once again! This calls for a quick update! Yay! R&R!**


	8. Closer

**Chapter 7: Closer**

**Hey, everyone! I guess once winter break ended, my brain started bleeding ideas. Ew. Anyway, I think this chapter should make up for that last lame chapter [Well, that's what I think].**

Things still remained awkward between me and my captain. The last time I ever had a real talk with him is when I was still behind bars. Now, it feels like I pushed Izuru away. So far away. I have been putting off a lot of paperwork lately as well. I know that if I keep at it, Captain Kira might actually say something to me. If I'm lucky, he might even look at me.

Stepping into the office, a light breeze was only present so far. Fortunately, Izuru wasn't there to give off that bad vibe. So, now's my chance to actually get all of this paperwork done. I headed to my desk, and grabbed a handful of papers into my hands. Geez, if I knew it was _this_ much work, I would have snuck some of this stupid ass paperwork into my room. As I comfortably sat down, I noticed that there was no sight of my ink anywhere. Great. The only place I can think of getting another one is off of Izuru's desk. I was kind of afraid of going over to his desk. Even when he's _not_ there. But what can I do?

In the end, I got out of my seat and searched his desk for ink. Hm, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I mean, it's just ink, right? Aha! I found some---

"What are you _doing_?" Eep. Busted. How could I _not_ hear Captain Kira step in the room? How stupid of me. Slowly, I turned around and I looked at him. He had a mix of expressions on his face. It was angry, tired, and annoyed all formed into one look on his face. And his eyes were gazed at me. I felt uncomfortable. If I told him that, he'd be furious.

"Um... I needed ink..... for my work... D-Do you have any?"

He doesn't say anything just yet. But he finally walks towards his desk. "No, I do not." He brushes past me and takes a seat by desk. He's lying! I just saw some on his desk! He's only saying that because...... well, there's no good reason!

I turned to him and grabbed the tiny container of ink that rested on his desk. "Then what do you call _this_?"

His eyes turn up at me like he was bothered by my actions. "It's not _my_ problem that you can't keep your things in place. If you lost yours, then that's your problem, Lieutenant Misori."

"That's a load of crap, Captain and you know it!"

"Fine! Take it and leave me alone."

Ugh! This isn't fair. Why is he acting like this! I sit around and take this new attitude of his!

"Okay, stop this, Captain." I slammed the bottle down on his table. Maybe a little too hard.

"What are you talking about?"

"Is this because of me? You said that you want me to TALK to you. So, I'm _talking_ to you dammit!" I hadn't realize that I was yelling at him until he was standing before me with angry eyes. I suddenly felt small. Small enough for him to squash me like a bug.

"You don't get it, do you?" He said to me.

"Get what?"

It looked like he was about to say something, but he closes his eyes in frustration. "Forget it."

"Forget _it_? No, this is _your_ chance to speak to me. Just spit it out already!"

He gives he that angry look again and I saw him beginning to move closer to me. Great, now I really pissed him off---

"You want to know the _truth_?" He had his hand pressed against my face. As his hand rested on my face, this odd tingle ran through me. My feelings for him were back again. My face heated rather quickly and I had forgotten that he asked a something.

I didn't get a chance to say a word.

"Don't laugh at what I am about to say......" He says, his eyes lowering to the floor.

"Um, ok?"

"...... I was angry.... that you went so far for your _'friend'_. You didn't think for a minute to think about the consequences..... yet you continued to look for him........ And I thought that if your friend and I had switched places...... would you do the same thing for me?"

"Of course, I would. You're my captain."

"No, no. I don't want you look at me as your captain anymore. I want you to look at me as just a man." Just... a man?

"What are you talking about, Captain? You're not making any sense."

Apparently, my stupidity only got him more annoyed. He looks at me but it seemed that he was getting closer to me. At that moment, I held back on kissing him. I wanted to so badly, it was beginning to give me a headache.

Though, as it seems by the look in his eyes, he wanted to kiss me too.

I was absolutely correct. Izuru was close enough for our lips to meet. And his free arm was pulling me closer to him. I couldn't take it anymore. I can't hold back any longer......

"I-Izuru......."

He finally... at last, pulled my lips against his. A spark of excitement evolved into my chest. And I was glad that he had returned these feelings. To me. And to me only.

But he pulls away and gazes into my eyes. Ugh, why did he pull away??

"You know...... I was... _jealous_..... of your friend."

A light laugh came from me and he slightly frowns. "I thought I told you not to laugh."

"O-Oh! I'm sorry." I said, still laughing. He smiles as well, my forehead resting on his.

I felt his hand tilt my chin up slightly. Again, he kisses me. But this time, it was different. He was different. His kisses turned rough and the arm that held me close, felt tighter around me. It was rough but I liked it. His warm tongue traced my bottom lip, begging for me to give it an opening. But as I gladly allowed him to enter, the door opens.

"Aren't you two just too cute?" Rangiku says, smiling widely. Izuru yanks me away and his face was crimson red. Just looking at him blush, made me blush as well. His hands fell to his side and he clears his throat. Just like that, he was Captain Kira again. "What is it, Rangiku?"

"Honestly... I was just being nosey. Lucky for me, I got a little _sneak a peek_ on you two lovebirds."

"Rangiku..." I said, hoping she would be quiet. She looks at me and smiles. "Oh, am I embarrassing you two? You shouldn't be so shy about your relationship. I think it's cute. Really."

This wasn't the only time I had kissed Izuru but today was fantastic. Maybe because he had been walking around the Seireitei with that attitude. I'm glad I snapped on him. Or he would have NEVER gotten around.

Shockingly, I somehow managed to finish half of the work in the office. I thought maybe a night walk would be all right. Of course, I didn't want to walk alone.

I guess I'm already attached to my captain. And now, I _always_ want to be around him. It was like I never ran off from the start. I should have thanked him for supporting me. Even though I didn't deserve it.

I'm so grateful to have him.

Once I headed to his room, I noticed that he wasn't there. Hm. Maybe he's in the office still working. I guess walking alone for one night wouldn't hurt.

As a matter of fact, tonight was rather beautiful. The ivory moon stood still in the sky. I've never seen the moon so close. Looking more into the sky, stars appeared. It truly is a beautiful night.

"I thought I would find you here."

That was a voice I haven't heard in a while. Although, I haven't heard this voice for a while, I knew _exactly_ who was behind me. I slowly turned, facing the smaller girl.

"Evening, Captain Hinamori." She nods slightly with a smile kept upon her face.

"I want to congratulate you, Hitomi."

"Congratulate me? For what?"

"Izuru seemed rather happy today. The only person that I can think of making him happy right now is you." I knew what she was talking about. He did seem happier than usual. I haven't noticed until just now.

"I guess you can say that we had an exchange of words."

"I didn't know a few words could make him _this_ happy. Unless... you told him that you loved him. Did you?"

"A-Ah, no! Ha, I mean, no. He's my captain. Of course, I care about him and would do just about everything to protect him and....... but saying _I love you_ are serious words. I'm not saying that I wouldn't love him but......." Great, now I'm rambling. Just like before.

"Oh. Okay. But know this... Captain Kira really cares about you."

"... I know..."

I knew that Hinamori was right. But... when she mentioned about love... I was kind of curious.

Did I love Izuru?

Besides, Captain Kira is a wonderful man. And he's such a great captain.

"Other than that, how are your injuries?"

"My injuries?"

"Oh. Your shoulder is fine then, right?" Right. Normally, the bitemark on my shoulder would inflict so much pain on me. But now, it feels like nothing was there. Just thinking about it was beginning to bother me. But. I'm sure it was a good thing that it's not hurting me.

That means that Rin was full of shit.

"Um. Yeah. I guess my shoulder's doing just fine."

Momo smiles again. "Good."

That night on my way to bed, I kept thinking back on those terrible dreams. Those dreams caused so much problems in the past. But I speak of it like it was so long ago. I turned a few times between my sheets, hoping to fall asleep soon. But something was bothering me. For some odd and strange reason, I _wanted_ to have another dream. Another dream with Rin.

Give her a piece of my mind.

But as my eyes slowly got heavier, falling into a deep sleep.... I knew I wasn't going to have a dream that night.

**A/N: Eh... This chapter was pretty short. But I wanted to start the other chapters as soon as possible. And another thing...**

**I am in need of more readers. I feel that people lost interest in my story. Did it turn boring? Does it suck? I just want to know why I'm not getting a lot of readers. It kind of makes me sad TT_TT.**

**Oh, well. See you in the next chapter.**


	9. Maybe Not So Innocent

**Chapter 8: Maybe Not So Innocent**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Bleach. Just Hitomi Misori.**

I get it. I'm a lightweight. But it's going to take a lot for me to puke. Clearly, I was drunk. I knew I was because for everytime the sake ran down my throat, it sizzled down like fire. But I was just having fun. And honestly, I wasn't sure who else was there but Rangiku.

I think Renji was there......

That bald guy was here, I think.....

Um some other guy I didn't know......

I thought Izuru was there but I remembered him saying that he was going to be busy tonight. Who says I can't have fun without him. Everyone was talking while I sat there lazily, barely being able to move.

"Hey, are you ok?" I heard someone say to me. I turned my head and I realized that Renji was the one that asked me if I was ok.

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"I don't know. How much did you drink?" Pff. I wasn't even sure. Seriously.

"Uuuhh..... I don't know." I said, giggling afterwards. There wasn't anything to laugh about but I guess it didn't matter at the moment. I heard Rangiku laugh a bit beside me.

"Oh. Leave her alone, Renji. She just a little drunk. It's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah!" I cheered, standing from my seat. My legs were a bit wobbly but I managed to stand straight.

"Hey! Let's play a game! I'm bored." I said, twirling in circles a bit.

"A game? Don't you have paperwork to do?" I sudden voice came out of no where. It was odd though. Hearing his voice flicked a switch in my head. Instantly, I turned and dropped the sake from my hands.

"O-Oh! Captain Kira! What are _you_ doing here?" What _was_ he doing here anyway? I thought he was doing 'work'. But Rangiku laughs.

"No need to act so proper, Hitomi. After all, everybody knows that you've got the hots for Izuru."

I flushed a bit and kicked her lightly. Uh, maybe I should go.

"U-Um. Captain, may we leave?" I said, walking towards him. Izuru has the disappointed look on his face but we both head out into the garden together. It was breezy outside. My dark locks began to dance in the air a bit. It was beginning to bother me a bit.

"Hitomi. Are you all right?" Izuru grabbed a hold of my arm. I gave him a look and smiled.

"I'm fine. Really. Just a little dizzy."

"You're _not_ fine. You can barely stand straight."

Hate to admit it but he was right. Really right. I leaned on him for support.

"Yeah... You're right, Captain."

"You shouldn't drink that much... It's not good for you---"

"Oh please! Rangiku told me about you drinking so much you---"

"Ok, ok."

After that, we walked silently. I liked it that way though. I knew people were watching us but I didn't care. I'm comfortable letting others know how I feel about my captain. It might seem wrong but, I'm already attachted to Izuru. At times, I just want to keep him to myself.

And just by leaning on him..... it felt _really_ nice.

"Captain?" I tugged him to a stop and he looks at me.

"What is it?"

"... Is it okay if I... stay with you tonight?"

The look of complete disbelief appeared on his face. Wait, he's probably getting the _wrong_ idea....

"Ha, ha. No, no, not like that, Captain! I mean, I just wanna stick around for a while longer."

"O-Oh..... For a moment, I thought you meant you want to......."

My face flushed. Oh my goodness. I wasn't even thinking that way. Yeah, I wanted to sleep with him but not SLEEP with him!

"What a dirty mind you have, Captain Kira."

"How else was I supposed to think?"

"OK, all right...... So, is it okay if I sleep in your room for tonight? I just don't feel like being alone. Besides, I don't see what's the problem."

And once again, he give me another rediculous look. He sighs a defeated sigh. "Fine. You can stay with me for the night but _only_ for tonight."

"Great!! I'll go and get ready!" I left his side and hurried to my room. I might have stumbled a few times, but I managed to slip into something more comfortable in one piece. There was no real reason for me to be so excited about this. I mean, I'm only going to spend a little _extra_ time with Izuru. I'll sleep on his bed and he'll sleep on the floor? It's just an _**innocent**_ sleepover.

On my way to his room, I began to wonder. What if I _wanted_ to actually _sleep_ with him? Would he push me away? Or would he... want me too? The odd unsteady throbbing against my chest had me wondering again.

What if _I_ wanted him?

"Stop thinking like that, idiot!" I yelled at myself. Why am I suddenly thinking about this? Ugh, I had forgotten that I'm completely drunk. I'm supposed to think stupid things, right? Yeah. Some excuse.

"Captain? Are you here?" His room was dark. Meaning he's probably not here yet. Hm, where did he go? Might as well just stay here till he gets back. I turned on a nearby lamp and took a seat on his bed.

His bed. I wonder if he's a virgin. Just thing about it made me laugh. But then again, I'm a _virgin_. Yeah, I said it. And I don't care.

The door suddenly opens and my eyes looked up. Of course, it was Izuru.

"Where did you go?"

"I didn't go anywhere. I just took my time getting here."

"Oh... Well, good night." I dropped my body onto the bed.

"W-Wait. I--"

"What's the problem? Only a gentleman would let the lady sleep in the most comfortable place. Why don't you sleep on the sofa. Or the floor?........ OR we could simply share the bed." I said, looking at the ceiling. I didn't hear him answer me but I _did_ hear the bed move a bit. For sure, I wasn't the one moving. I sat up a bit and I saw Izuru seated beside me.

"Tell me... What are your intentions?" He asks me. My intentions?

"I'm not sure what you mean but...... I'm tired. Let's go to bed." I plopped down again. All of that drinking is making me sleepy. And what does he mean intentions? Before I got a chance to ask him, I was already snoozing.

Dawn came over. Big deal. I don't feel like getting up right now. Maybe because I'm bothered by the fact that Izuru wasn't sleeping beside me. I know I told him that it was just a night to sleep over but...

I still wanted to sleep next to him! But I can't lay here and think about this. Slowly, I sat up and looked around. It was still rather dark in the room. Woah, and shockingly, I don't have a hangover. Well, lucky me.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Holy shit!" I turned around quickly and there I saw Izuru sitting on the window sill.

"What the hell, Izuru. You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry." He said, his eyes turning to the window.

"Hey... There was something I wanted to ask you...... Last night, you asked me what were my intentions? What were you talking about?"

"........ I'm not sure myself........." Izuru removed himself from the window and slowly sat beside me. His eyes looked into mines. And I saw something.

He was giving me this look. The look of want. I'm not definite but that's what it looks like to me.

"Didn't I tell you to _not_ to look at me as your captain?"

"Well... yeah. But how do you expect me to do that?" I lowered my head a bit. What he was asking from me seemed impossible. No matter how you twist it or turn it, he's still my superior.

"Just.... Just do or say something that would make me feel like you're _more than_ a lieutenant."

More than a lieutenant. Well, I _would_ kiss him but would that honesty do anything good? So, I thought of something else.

"Um... Well........ Izuru......" Dammit, I don't know what to say!

"I see....... I guess it can't be helped...... Just forget it---"

"Wait! Izuru, I love you."

He paused, his blue eyes gazing into my face. And once again, that shocked look appeared on his face.

"I-I wasn't sure before but..... I think I'm sure now. Just hear me out before you say something....... Ever since I met you.... I think I had fallen for you...... I didn't wan to admit it at first but these feelings won't go away. I love you, Izuru...... And it's all right if you don't accept these feelings, I would completely understand---"

"Hitomi." He held my chin up and kissed me.

"I guess you can say...... that I love you too."

"So...... would it be wrong if I told you that I..... _wanted_ you?"

"Wanted me?"

It was like I couldn't stop pouring my feelings out. No matter. Everything I said was completely true. I _did_ love him. And I _do_ think he's the one for me. I know we haven't known each other for so long but I didn't care. All that mattered right now is that he's here with me. And the fact that he's retunred the love to me.

"Izuru... You don't _want_ me?" I asked, my cheeks started to burn madden red. I didn't want to seduce him but......

"I know love is much more than...... _doing it_ but....... isn't that a way to express your love to someone?" I asked.

His face was red as mines. If we BOTH keep this act up, we'll end up sitting here and do nothing.

"Well...... I don't think......" Oh, no. He's going to reject me. Reject _me_.

"I don't think I'm ready to........"

I already knew what he was going to say. My eyes began to sting a bit. And I just wanted to get up and leave. But he's not really saying no, is he?

Is he?

"Hitomi. Don't get me wrong... I really do love you but I don't feel quite...... comfortable doing this with you---"

"Then when are you going to be ready, Izuru?" I snapped, my eyes slowly filling with tears. I didn't want to be angry with him but.....

"When a girl get these feelings, you don't push her away. It takes a lot for someone to bring up so much to the table all at once. I know I might be rambling but I don't think you're really being fair. You say that you love me but...... but...... Ugh, forget it." I got up from the bed and stormed to the door. But something caught a hold of my foot.

Below me was a mat. Even though it was a mat, I tripped over it.

_CRASH!!_

And down, I go! How embarrassing.

"Are you all right!" I heard Izuru say. I sat up and my head started to throb. Fuck, I hit my head on the floor!! He came to my aid and he pokes the slight bruise on my forehead.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little. Is it bad?"

"Not really... But I have something that can make it feel better."

"It's okay, Captain. Really--" Before I got a chance to finish my sentence, he plants a light kiss on my forehead. His lips pressed against my forehead felt pretty nice. It was kind of romantic to me as well. And once he did that, I wasn't mad anymore. Oh, the things that this man can do. I just sat there looking dumbfounded. But finally, he says something.

"You know, I almost laughed when you fell. It wasn't nice but, you fell funny."

I smiled. "Shut up. I'm still mad at you."

"No, you're not....... No, you're not." He kisses me quickly. Ok, what the hell is doing??

"Yes. I am, Izuru. And it's too late for you to make things up."

"Really?.... Well, then I guess I have to try _harder_." When he spoke, an odd feeling slithered down my back.

"I thought you said you weren't ready......."

"..... I know. But I thought about it a little bit more while you were falling on your face......"

"And?"

"You're not so innocent after all."

His blue eyes gazed into my eyes. It was that nice look he would give me when he was happy. And from that second, he pulled me closer to him. And I inhaled deeply, knowing what's going to happen next....

"I know, Izuru."

**a/n: Boo!!! I think that chpater sucked a bit. Maybe because I'm in a slight rush. It's all right. I'll try and be more focused on the next chapter. See ya!!**


	10. Inevitable

**Chapter 9: Inevitable Lust**

None of this felt real. It seemed like I was dreaming. Yet, I _know_ it's not a dream. I couldn't help but to hold onto him for dear life. In a way, I was afraid of letting him go. He held onto me close and his breath was short and unsteady. The room was rather chilly but feeling his ivory, warm body against me made me feel extremely hot. Again, I felt a pinch below me and I cry out in slight pain. It hurted a bit but I didn't want him to stop. I felt his lips graze my earlobe.

"I'm sorry...." I heard him whisper to me. Although he said he was sorry, he didn't stop his desire to pulling me down on him. Again, he grabs me harder into him and I could have sworn I felt something pop inside of me.

"I-Izuru..." I cried out. Even _I_ was panting like a dog. We've been at this for a long time now and I think we have both reached our limits. And finally, he exits and we lay beside each other.

I did it. I actually did it. And I didn't feel like myself anymore. Well, duh. I just lost my virginity to my captain.

"Hitomi." His voice was soft like velvet and I liked it when he called my name like that. He said it like I was... special. Slowly, I turned to face him. He wasn't smiling but I knew that he was happy.

"Yes, _Izuru_?" I said, running my hand in his pale blond hair.

"I was....... nervous."

"You were? Why? I thought you were fine."

His face flushes the slight hint of pink. "You think so?"

"Yeah. Really. You might be a pretty thin guy but you sure satisfied me."

A smile finally appears on his face. "I'm glad."

"Me too." I kissed him and curled myself by him. I just wanted to sleep right now. Who'd ever thought doing this would be such hard---

_"Captain Kira! Are you in there?"_ I knew that voice from anywhere.

Both, Izuru and I sat up and gave each other a freaked out look.

"Rangiku." We both said in unison but not loud enough for her to hear us. Instantly, I fumbled out of the bed and fel onto the floor.

_"Hey, are you all right in there?"_ She says again.

"I-I'm fine, Rangiku.... Hold on a minute." Izuru said, tossing on whatever was close by. I hopped into my clothes and gave him a look. What the hell was I supposed to do? Just stand here and NOT look suspicious??

"Hide or something!" He said, pointing towards his closet.

Without hesitation. I hid into his closet as he headed to the door. I heard the door open and I heard everything clearly.

_"Have you seen Hitomi anywhere? I'm so worried about her."_

_"What do you mean? Isn't she in her room? She's probably still asleep."_ Ha, what a liar he is!

_"No, she's not. I checked and no one was there. You haven't seen her anywhere?"_ Rangiku did sound worried but I _can't_ blow this for him and me. I know eventually people will find out. But I can't have our business out so soon.

_"... Are you sure you haven't seen her?"_ Uh oh. She sounds a bit suspicious.

_"I'm sure..."_ Just like that, the room grew quiet. Too quiet. It sounded like Rangiku left but I didn't hear the door shut.

_"You're acting strange, Izuru.... And I _did_ hear a loud thump when I was knocking on your door."_

_"I was working a lot last night. But I don't know where my lieutenant went. I'm sure she's in here room right now. Go and check."_

_"..... Fine... But I'm watching you, Izuru..."_

Moments later, the door finally closes and I instantly pushed myself out of the closet. "Aah! I can breathe now." I said, flopping my hair out of my face.

"Shh! You must be quiet. Or Rangiku will---"

"I _knew_ it!" Someone yells out. I didn't even hear the door open again. But I sure as hell wasn't seeing things.

"RANGIKU!" Izuru and I both yelled out.

"I don't know why you're so worked up. Everyone knows that _this_ was going to happen anyway."

"What are you talking about? We didn't do _anything_!" I lied, my face flushing like crazy. But she obviously didn't take the bait. She marched up towards me and pokes my chest. As she pressed into my skin, I felt a light pain. Of course, I looked down, wondering why Rangiku had poked me.

"Then how do you explain this bruise below your collarbone, huh?"

"I-I fell this morning! How could you be assuming things!"

"Give it up, Hitomi. You two are _busted_ and you know it."

What else could I say? Exactly. I didn't say a damn thing. She was right and there was enough proof before her eyes that we _did_ sleep together last night.

"Okay, fine! But can we _please_ drop this subject now?"

Rangiku smiles in satisfactory and turns to Izuru. "So... Were you being rough on her or---"

"All right, Rangiku. Let's go." I yelled, grabbing her wrist and storming out with her. Ugh. The mouth on this woman!!

* * *

Call me paranoid but, I can't help but to think that someone is always watching me. Not in a stalker way but...ever since Rangiku found it about me and Izuru, I felt uncomfortable being around others. Like this morning.

I was walking back to my quarters when a few guys from squad 11 was watching me. Instantly, I assumed that they knew something. Of course, they don't know a damn thing but still. I was scared.

Once I entered my room, I sighed loudly. I was bored. There wasn't much things to do these days. Not one problem came to mind. And especially no intruders of the sort.

Speaking of intruders, what ever happened to Rin? And her stupid monster hound? I didn't really give a rat's ass about her and her stupid tricks. How foolish I was to listen to her before. Just thinking about it bothered me.

I wonder where she went? Or maybe she got tired of pissing me off and went off to bother someone else.

_"Lieutenant Misori? Are you here?"_ I heard someone say at my door. It was unfamiliar voice. It must be a captain. Of course, I opened the door. There, stood a lieutenant. I have seen her around before but I never knew her name.

"Lieutenant. I'm sorry for the sudden visit. I'm Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu of Division 4."

"Oh. Hello. I'm sorry we couldn't have met a while back. That's my fault."

She smiles. "It's fine. But I came to give you a personal message from my captain."

A personal message? I guess Isane saw the curious look that settled in my face.

"Don't worry. She only wants to examine you and your bite."

My hand scaled up to my left shoulder. The old mark suddenly felt like it was burning through my sleeves. And I suddenly grew scared. I wasn't sure why but I had a bad feeling about my _examination._ As much as I wanted to say no to this examination. I accepted. Isane guides me to where Captain Unohana was. There was no surprise when I noticed that she was in the 'health' department.

"How are you, Lieutenant Misori?" I really liked Captain Unohana. Maybe because she always had such an angelic smile on her face. Not one time, I have ever seen an angered look on her face. But wouldn't want to be around if when she _is_ angry.

"I'm well, Captain. Isane told me that you wanted to see me."

"Yes... I want to examine your injury. I should have examined it before it was completely healed... I don't want to frighten you, Lieutenant but there's something unusual about it."

"Unusual? What do you mean?"

"I will explain _after_ I take a look at it." Unohana takes me to an available patient room and orders me to have a seat. I revealed my bite and he traces it with her index finger.

"Hm... Rather strange....." I heard her say under her breath.

"What's _strange_?"

"Beside from the bite, there's light bruises on various spots of your body. Please explain."

Bruises? How could there ever be bruises---

Oh. OH! I blushed, remembering how they got there. I never thought they would be so visible. My skin is rather sand-like. How could she see them?

"Well... When I was in the academy, I used to train pretty hard." I laughed nervously. And shockingly, she took the response without suspicion.

"All right, then...... The bite seems fine. _But_ it doesn't look completely healed. The 'healing' color isn't supposed to turn your skin black."

"B-Black? No, it's wasn't like that this morning." I stood up from my seat and stood before the mirror. She wasn't lying. The bite was purple-black. It looked infected. Like it was in desperate need of an amputation. Though, I hope that wouldn't be necessary.

"I don't remember it looking like this. Would it be all right if I continue this examination tomorrow morning?"

"Um, sure, Captain." Finally, I fixed my clothes. I knew I was going to get bad news. I KNEW this was a bad idea!

*****

"What's the matter, Hitomi?" His hand rests on my right shoulder and I sigh in relief. I didn't want to bother him about my worries but I was glad to see him.

"Izuru... Thank goodness you're here." I turned to face him and he looked at me.

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you? Did Rangiku tell--"

"Um, no. That's not it. Captain Unohana brought me in for an examination...... on my bite."

"Is there something wrong with it? It seemed fine this morning."

"Yeah, I know but......." I slid my left sleeve down to show him the darkened bite. He gazes at it and sighs.

"That's strange... That doesn't make any sense, as a matter of fact. What did Unohana say about it?"

"She said that she needed to continue the examination tomorrow......... I'm a little scared, Izuru." I fixed my sleeve. First, I expected Izuru to be worried as much as I was.

"You'll be fine." He says, pulling me into his chest. It was nice of him but I was still worried. Could this mean that Rin is still able to torture me? What I didn't understand why she wanted me? My last encounter with her, I remember injuring her monster pretty badly. But if this mark still remains on me, that means that _thing_ is still alive.

Right?

"I hope you're right, Izuru."

I slowly looked up at him and he slightly smiles. "What can I do to _ease_ all of this stress?"

Call me a perv but... The word sex popped in my head. I didn't want to have _...sex_ every night like it's a ritual or something. That's terrible. Terrible, but I still thought about it. Or maybe it came to mind because we did it this morning. What am I doing? I shouldn't be thinking like this.

If anyone was to hear my thoughts, they wouldn't have the slightest idea that I was a virgin a few hours ago.

"Well..... I guess it would be nice if..... you just keep holding me like this..... more often." I said. That's much better. I have to think romantic. Not sexual all the time. Ugh, how terrible of me.

"All right." He agrees, kissing my forehead softly. His gentle kiss sent a tingle down my spine. I felt _so_ lucky to have such a sweet guy to myself. This _definitely_ isn't the time for me to think about Rin and her stupid monster's bite. Whatever.

I'll just have to deal with that little bitch when the time comes. But right now... I want to just stand here in his arms.

"You know... This morning..... Did you really mean it? That I was good?"

"Ha, ha. Oh, Izuru... yeah, I _did_ mean it. So don't worry yourself."

A/N: I'm sorry for such a huge delay. I was so busy. Not to mention that I have MANDATORY classes on Saturdays at my school. How much does _that_ suck? Anyway, I'll try and post the next chapter as soon as possible. And don't forget to leave me some reviews ^_^


	11. So We Meet Again

**Chapter 10: So We Meet Again**

Slowly, I sat up, my head swimming a bit. Crap. I had forgotten that I was supposed to see Unohana this morning. I hope that there weren't any _fresh_ marks on my skin. I didn't want to _do it_ last night but...... here I am laying in Izuru's bed. Speaking of Izuru.....

He wasn't even laying beside me. He must have forgotten that I was supposed to be somewhere this morning. I can't imagine Captain Unohana being mad over something like that. Yet again, I don't _want_ to see her get mad. So, I got out of bed and took a quick shower (in Izuru's shower) then I was on my way.

"Oy, I'm sorry Captain! Am I too late?" Goodness, please don't rip my head off!

"It's all right... Please, have a seat."

"Um... Sure." I sat by her and she pulls out a needle. Hm, I had a feeling that she was going to use that today---

"Ow." I insticntly said.

"I am terribly sorry."

"It's fine..... So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll run a few tests on your blood. There should be some sort of explanation as to why your bite changed."

Yeah, it was odd. What kind of bite mark would change colors? It didn't look that bad as it did yesterday though. I mean, Izuru wasn't paying any mind to it when we were---

"Ahem! So..... Is that all?"

"For now. It shouldn't take long for me to have the results. I'll contact you when the results are complete."

For a second, I thought she was going to have me wired up to some computer and shock me. Or something like that. Whatever. After my (VERY QUICK) examination, I wanted to take a walk.

It's so boring around here. There wasn't a thing to do. Not a damn thing. Even my thoughts ran out of..... well, thoughts.

"Wow. You look bored. How about I _spice_ up your morning?"

I stopped dead in my footsteps. I knew that voice. Haven't heard that voice in a while but... I knew that I would hear it again someday.

"Are you going to turn around or what?" That voice said again. Slowly, I turned around and there she was.

Rin.

"Just when my life was getting a _little_ bit better... you come right back."

"Oh, sorry. Did you miss me, Hitomi?"

"You little brat. What do you want? You tricked me."

Rin frowned a bit. "Actually... No one said that you had to listen to me. You believed what you wanted to believe. I guess they're right when they say "_Love is blind_"."

"You little bitch... Stop screwing around with me." I'm just sick and tired of this girl. I grabbed her by her collar and she grins widely at me.

"Why? It's too fun!"

"But what do you _want_ from me?"

"Honestly.... I'm just a decoy." Decoy? Decoy of what?

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I wish I could tell you but..... I'm not supposed to." I let go of her. What the hell did I do to deserve this?

"But! Only because your not trying to kill me today... I'll help you just a little bit..."

I wasn't liking the sound of this. The first time I believed her, I got in trouble.

"I will _remove_ your bite mark. OK??"

"Huh? What?"

"I admit, I lied to you a lot. First off, this bite of yours doesn't mean a thing. Second, your old lover _is_ alive..... just not that same guy that you used to _love._"

"Say what you want to say, I'm going to fall into your little traps anymore."

"But I'm not _lying_ this time."

This was really getting old. I turned away from her and began to walk off. "Keiichi told me to give you a message."

"I'm sure this is another one of your tricks but I'll listen..."

"He said that he can't wait to see you again. And he wants to know if you still wear the necklace."

The necklace? How did Rin know about it? Instantly, I panicked. I was falling into her lies again. But I couldn't help it right now. How could she know about his necklace? Could she be telling the truth this time? Either way, I _didn't_ wear the necklace anymore.

"You tell Keiichi... That I don't wear it anymore.... only because I found someone else. And I love him very much. Tell him I'm sorry."

I heard Rin sigh. "Okay, then. Well, I guess my time is up for now. I'm shocked that no one noticed that I'm here."

I turned my head to see if she was still behind me. No, she wasn't. I'm glad that she was gone. Just seeing her made me want to punch something.

"Hey, Hitomi."

Great, now who is it? I turned around and I saw Renji walking over to me. He has this huge grin on his face. I didn't know what it was for but I didn't like it.

"What's with that face?" I asked him once he got close enough.

"What did you do to Izuru?"

"Um... What _did_ I do? I'm confused."

"It's pretty obvious now... Izuru's pretty easy to bruise you know." I blushed, remembering what mark I left on him. I _think_ I left one on his ear.... _one or two _on his neck... oh my goodness! I'm a monster!

"I-I don't know what your talking about, Renji. Now stop bothering me!"

"Lie all you want, Hitomi! But Izuru is _walking_ proof!"

"Ok, ok! Just shut up, ok??" I shook him by his shoulders a bit. He was still smiling at me.

"Wow... I can't imagine Izuru and you...... He's lucky."

"Oh? Really?" I wonder if everyone else knows about me and my captain.

"Yeah, I mean it."

Wow. I think this a little _tiny_ bit to much for today.

~*~*~*~*~

"I'm sorry, Hitomi. I guess you can I'm not that good of a liar."

"It's all right, Captain Kira. As long as _everyone_ didn't see what I have done to you." I said, taking a light sip from my tea. The room was nice and quiet. And surprisingly, I wasn't thinking dirty thoughts. As a matter of fact....

"I saw Rin this morning, Captain."

Izuru's calm expression immediately stiffened. He angrily, but calmly, placed his cup down and looked at me. "What did she want?"

"Nothing, really. She was just there to confuse me some more."

"What did she say to you?"

"Um, I think she said something about my old friend still being alive.... and she said that she's going to remove the bite from me."

It sounded so stupid but.... It wouldn't hurt to check, right? Slowly, I took a little peek at my left shoulder. And....

"Oh my goodness. She wasn't lying, Izuru. Look?" He looked at my shoulder and touched it. Even he looked shocked. Who would expect Rin to be telling the truth?

"So, do you believe her when she told you that Keiichi is still alive?"

"No... and yes." I'm going to have to explain myself.

"You see, Izuru... When we went to the academy together, he gave me a gift..... It was a necklace. He said that was a symbol of _us_ being together. I still have it but I don't wear it anymore..... But Rin said something that made me believe her that he was still alive."

My eyes looked into Izuru's. "She knew about my necklace. She said that he wants to see me again....." For some reason, I felt uncomfortable talking about this to Izuru. Maybe because I _used_ to love Keiichi. I don't know.

""You're not going ot run off again, are you?" He suddenly asks. There was a hint of worry in his tone.

"No! Why would I?"

"Good," He grabs a hold of my left hand and holds it tightly, " I wouldn't know what to do if you were ran off again."

Eventually, a smile appears on my face. And once again, I wonder how did I manage to grab a hold of someone so...... special.

"I _promise_ that I won't run off again. But...... I'm going to kill Rin and her beast. Even if it kills me." I mean it. If she's able to control me like a puppet, I'm sure she can do it anybody else. But my comments only made Izuru worry even more.

"When that time comes, I'll make sure you will survive."

Izuru pulled me close to him. I believed him. I really did. Could it be that he loves me as much as _I_ love him? Asking him is something that I _can't_ do. For sure, he cares about me but.... I _am_ just a lieutenant to him.....

That night, I was tired. I didn't do ANYTHING today. So, why am I so sleepy? For one, I am terrible at fighting my sleep. I had fallen alseep ten minutes after I rested my head on my pillow. But.... For some really starnge reason, I was already thinking up a dream. I haven't had a dream for a while. Hopefully, it would be a good one. Well, guess what??

My dream was beginning to look VERY familiar. My eyes opened to a white and frigid climate. I wasn't scared. Just bothered. Having another run in with Rin in one day, was too much. Seriously.

Slowly, I stood up from the freezing ground and I looked at my surroundings. Only white snow blinded my eyes. But the snow eventually stopped falling and I could finally see clearly. Still, no Rin in sight.

"Rin _isn't_ here... Hitomi."

What?

That voice......I know that voice but..... why is _he_ here? I tured my head to my right and there, I saw him. He was walking towards me but he looked confused as me.

"What are you doing here? Izuru?"

"I-I don't know.... I was sleeping just a moment ago--"

"I Don't like this, Izuru."

"Don't worry, Hitomi. I'll protect you."

"I don't know, Captain. I have a feeling you're the target." Quickly, I pulled out my zampakuto before me. For sure, something's coming this way. I just know it.

"No need to look so hostile, Hitomi Misori."

That voice! Just hearing it had made my palms drench in perspiration. In the distance, I saw a tall figure walking towards us.

"Is that... Who I think it is?" I heard Izuru say in a low tone. Even _his_ voice carried shock.

"Yes....... That's......" I was scared to say his name. Maybe because the look in his eyes were different. They seemed _anrgy_.

"That's Keiichi Obata, Izuru. That's him." I finally said. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. My eyes could be decieving me but.... that's not the case. Closer he walked towards us. There was slight smile on his face. Once he was close enough, he takes a deep sigh and takes a look at the both of us.

"You look surprised, Hitomi. You shouldn't be."

"How is this possible? You're supposed to be dead."

His brow goes up. "I thought you wanted me alive. Or were you just _pretending_?"

"Pretending? No! I'm just... shocked."

"So... You're glad to see me?"

I wasn't sure if I should say yes or no. I _am_ glad to see my old friend but... is this _really_ him?

"Rin _did_ tell you I'm a changed person, right?"

"Yes..... Did she bring you back to life or something?"

At that moment, a slight smile tugged at his lips. It was a new expression to me. It was a look that I wasn't comfortable seeing him use.

"Oh... I guess Rin didn't tell you what _exactly_ is going on........ Now that you mention it, I knew Rin the same night I killed myself."

_*Flashback*_

_"What are you doing?" Her eyes watched him as Keiichi stepped upon the chair to hang himself. There were the tiniest sounds of sobs coming form him._

_"I'm going to kill myself. I don't know who you are but... you're not gonna stop me!"_

_Rin's eyes closed and a smile appears. "What can you achieve by killing yourself? Why would you want to do something like that?"_

_"Because....... Because Hitomi hates me."_

_"Who's Hitomi?"_

_Keiichi sighs, slipping his head in the rope. "She's my friend.... she's graduation really soon and she's going to leave without me."_

_"You're going this because of some girl? Killing yourself is only going ot make things worse."_

_"Then what am I suposed TO DO?!" Keiichi screamed._

_"You can come with _me_."_

_Keiichi stops his sobbing and looks at the little girl. "I.... I-I don't understand--"_

_"Already, I hate this Hitomi girl. All of this pain she's putting you through..... I can set you free, Keiichi Obata."_

_His eyes widened in awe._

_"The decision is yours....." Rin finally says._

_For moments, he stood there debating with himself. Go with her? Or hang himself to a meaningless death? And finally....._

_Keiichi removes his head from the rope and steps down to the floor. "Okay.... I'll go." He finally says._

_*Flashback End*_

"She saved my life, Hitomi. From that moment on..... I loved _her_."

I was hurt. He hated _me_. All this time..... he _always_ hated me. Because I left him..... I had no idea.

"I don't understand. What do you _want_?" Izuru says behind me, his hand grabbing a hol of my shoulder. Keiichi's eyes looked sharply at Izuru. His eyes had no sign of happinyess. Just sheer anger and hatred.

"You must be Izuru Kira. Captain of Squad 3. It's nice to finally meet you. Rin told me that you're in Hitomi's interest. You are very lucky to have her...... BUT. There is _ONE_ thing I need to do before I go....."

"And that is?" I asked.

"To spill the blood of Hitomi Misori." Someone said out loud. It wasn't Keiichi who said it. Slowly, my eyes turned to the right of me. Rin was standing there. Only this time, she didn't look like a little girl anymore. Instead, she looked old as me. It scared me a bit. What in the world is she?? But something just hit me. She said the one thing he need to do before he left was to... kill _me_.

He's trying to kill me? My eyes began filling with tears. It shouldn't be though. "Is this true, Keiichi? You _want_ to kill me?"

Keiichi looked guilty when I looked at him. It was like he didn't want to admit the truth to me. But that look had disappeared as fast as it had came. "Yes. It's true."

My zampakuto suddenly felt heavy in my hand. Everything felt heavy, even the air I was breathing. I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping that this terrible dream would end. I want it to end now! But when I opened my eyes, Izuru was standing in front of me. Protecting me.

"Izuru--"

"It's all right, Hitomi. I"m not going to let _anyone_ hurt you." I wanted to believe him. I really did. Still, I had a really bad feeling that one of us was going to get hurt.

"Oh? But this is Hitomi's _destiny_. It's best for her to die. For the sake of Keiichi's happiness." Rin said grinning. Just looking at that stupid grin made me sick. The grip on my zampakuto tighened and I felt my legs move.

Was I...... running towards her? I WAS! Even she looked shocked.

"Seethe, _Riten!!_" I didn't hesitate attacking her. And surprisingly, I cut her.

"That actually _hurts_!" She says, dashing away from me. Of course, I chased her. I suddenly wanted to kill her. Why _wouldn't_ I want to kill her? She ruined my life. In my heart, I believe that I _need_ to kill Rin. She even turned my closest friend against me.

With ease, I swung _Riten_ at Rin, trying to cut her again. This time, the blow _will_ be fatal. My hands even burned weilding my zampakuto. Closer the sword came to her. For a quick moment, I thought I got her but I didn't. Instead, I was stopped.

"So sorry about this." I looked up and Keiichi had stopped Riten dead in its tracks. I saw his hand motion towards me. Attempting to hit me, I assume. I didn't want to get hit but....

I think I deserved it. How could I not have noticed how unhappy Keiichi was? Some friend I was.... So, I'll let him hit me just once.

"What do you think you're doing?" I heard Izuru yells out, removing me from danger.

"Izuru... I don't want to be here."

His blue eyes gazed into my eyes. "I can't let them hurt you. Run from here. So they won't find you---"

"No. I can't leave you here alone." What is he, nuts? He cold barely handle _me_!

"You _have_ to. Or you're going to _die_."

"No, I don't care. If I run and you die, I would never be able to forgive myself."

What kind of a lieutenant would I be if I had left him?

"You know... Running away won't do any good." Rin yells out from a distance. Keiichi just stood beside her. So, it was all a lie. He was never dead from the beginning. I didn't know what to do from that moment on. Maybe I should surrender so Izuru can _at least_ be safe. He was more important than I was right now. His life rests in my hand. It's my duty to save _him_. Not myself.

"Fine. I won't run unless... you remove my captain from this dream."

Anyone could tell how Izuru was feeling right now. Of course, he is against my suggestion.

"Hitomi, what are you doing?"

"I'm saving my _captain_. That's my job before ANYTHING else, Izuru. You know that."

"I don't care! I'm not leaving you." There's no way he wil change this mind. I know that for sure. But I can't stand here and argue the whole time. I have to do something!

Once again, I go charging towards them. This time, I'll avoid coming so close. My sword can do so much more than cut. With one strike from a distance, burning white flames bursted before them, running their way. One touch with those flames, it runs through their veins like fire. I was somewhat confident that I would hit at least one of them. Quickly, they jumped away to safety. But I once again, attacked. This time the flames hitting Keiichi right in the face.

I felt bad for that moment. Rin was the one I wanted to hit. Not him. But I was in no position to be on his side.

"Hitomi, watch out!' I heard Izuru yell out. I turned my head and saw Rin charging towards me. Damn it, she's too close for me to dodge her! She's going to hit me---

"Back away. _Now_." Izuru was standing in front of me, Wabisuke blocking her hit. I barely blinked! How fast was he moving to protect me?

"I-Izuru. What are you doing?"

"You know I won't allow anyone to hurt you. Now be _quiet_." He sounded angry. At me, at them. It was a side I didn't like to see. The _angry_ side of Izuru Kira.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel so safe anymore. A tight feeling was wrapped around my neck. Then, I was unable to breathe. Finally, I realized that Keiichi had his arm locked around my neck.

Izuru turned, seeing me locked in Keiichi's grasp. Immediatly, Izuru grabs Rin and holds the blade before her neck.

"Now... Where is this going to take us, dear?" Keiichi says to Rin. She sighs and gives him a look.

"Well you could either let Hitomi go and Izuru will _probably_ let go of me or..... You could finish her off yourself and hope that I would survive a slit to my throat." Rin sounded like she was being sarcastic. But I highly doubt that she wasn't.

"Would you like to do the honors of killing her yourself, Rin?" Keiichi asked.

"You've got to be kidding me! You're talking about me like I'm a slab of meat. If you want to kill me, then do it!" I finally yelled out. I can't take this anymore. This fight was beginning to lok meaningless. I just want to go home!

"Fine. As you wish Hitomi Misori." Rin said, eyeing Keiichi some sort of 'signal'.

Just then, at that moment, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. It was a VERY familiar feeling.

"No! Move away!" Izuru yells out. What was he complaining for? Then I noticed what he was yelling about. Keiichi was sinking his teeth into my shoulder! What the hell?!

I tried to shake him off... But he didn't budge one bit. My vision grew foggy and my knees gave in. It hurts. It really did but.... Then again it didn't. I wasn't completely sure what was really going on from then on. But I knew that I wasn't myself.

What really puzzled me was why Keiichi was biting me. Unless he's that thing that always used to follow Rin all the time... Is he? Ugh, now I'm rambling to myself. I tried to open my eyes to see what's happening. No matter how hard I tried, I was out cold. Everything was dark.

_VERY_ dark...

**A/N: OMG! I'm so sorry, my lovely readers! I've been rushing on my school stuff and I had completey forgotten about writing another chapter. How could I be so irresponsible? I've got EXAMS tomorrow AND the day after that. So give me a tiny break. BTW, wish me luck [I'll be needing it]...**


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